Staff ratings of institutionalized drug abusers

A 40-item, six-point, Likert type questionnaire was developed to assess drug users’ adaptation to a residential treatment program. Two hundred and sixteen residents were rated by 52 staff personnel. A principal component analysis of these ratings led to the acceptance of a three-factor solution which accounted for 47% of the total variance. From these factors, three scales were constructed: (1) Active Nonaccommodation, (2) Helpful Accommodation, and (3) Social Seclusion. The internal consistency reliability exceeded. 80 for each of the three scales. Data collection that will permit the analysis of the scales’ validity are currently underway.