Coping Questionnaire – CQ
Measures the coping strategies used by family members affected by a relative's alcohol or substance use problem.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Coping Questionnaire – CQ was developed by Jim Orford, Lorna Templeton, Richard Velleman, Alex Copello (2005). It is designed to measure Coping strategies of family members of relatives with alcohol problems. The scale is intended for use with Affected family members of individuals with alcohol or substance use problems.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 30 items organized into 3 factors/subscales: Engaged Coping (CQ-E), Tolerant Inactive Coping (CQ-T), Withdrawal Coping (CQ-W).
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Engaged Coping (CQ-E) | 1,5,6,7,9,11,13,16,17,19,21,25,26,28 | 14 |
| Tolerant Inactive Coping (CQ-T) | 3,4,10,14,20,23,24,27,30 | 9 |
| Withdrawal Coping (CQ-W) | 2,5,8,12,15,18,22,29 | 8 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 0 = NO, 1 = ONCE OR TWICE, 2 = SOMETIMES, 3 = OFTEN.
The scale includes 1 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 0 to 90. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Coping Activity: 0 – 30
- Moderate Coping Activity: 31 – 60
- High Coping Activity: 61 – 90
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Not specified in source text.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.