Experience of Service Questionnaire – ESQ
Measures satisfaction with child and adolescent mental health services from the perspective of service users.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Experience of Service Questionnaire – ESQ was developed by Commission for Health Improvement, Attride-Stirling (2002). It is designed to measure Satisfaction with mental health services. The scale is intended for use with Adolescents (aged 12-18) and Parents/Carers.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 12 items organized into 2 factors/subscales: Satisfaction with Care, Satisfaction with Environment.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Satisfaction with Care | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,11,12 | 9 |
| Satisfaction with Environment | 8,9,10 | 3 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 0 = Not True, 1 = Partly True, 2 = Certainly True.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 0 to 24. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Satisfaction: 0 – 8
- Moderate Satisfaction: 9 – 16
- High Satisfaction: 17 – 24
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of High internal consistency (typically alpha > 0.80 for Care subscale).
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.