Development of a tool to assess the impact of a brief counseling curriculum: Validation of the Attitudes to Psychological Interventions and Counseling in Primary Care (APIC-PC) survey

Objective

To develop and validate an instrument to assess knowledge and attitudes regarding the use of psychological interventions in primary care.

Methods

A 13-item questionnaire was developed based on literature review and expert panel discussion. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were carried out to test the construct validity of the subscales. Item-scale correlations were used to test the construct validity of the items. Internal reliability was tested by Cronbach's alpha. Responsiveness of the instrument was evaluated by using independent t-test of pre and post program scores.

Results

Exploratory factor analysis extracted four factors: skills and knowledge, confidence to provide counseling, willingness to provide counseling, and curriculum needs. Confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated excellent goodness-of-fit. Item scale correlations confirmed convergent and discriminant validity. Good responsiveness was shown on independent t-test of the pre and post responses.

Conclusions

The Attitudes to Psychological Interventions and Counseling in Primary Care (APIC-PC) survey is a valid and responsive instrument for assessing knowledge and attitudes regarding psychological approaches in patient management (mental health care).

Practice implications

Psycho-social counseling skills training is increasingly being recognised as a valuable component of undergraduate primary care medical education. The APIC-PC is a useful tool for evaluating the impact of such programs.