Hopefulness-Hopelessness Questionnaire – HHQ
Measures levels of hopefulness and hopelessness in family members affected by a relative's substance use or gambling problems.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Hopefulness-Hopelessness Questionnaire – HHQ was developed by Jim Orford, Lorna Templeton, Richard Velleman, Anna Copello, P.D. Micallef (1995). It is designed to measure Hopefulness and Hopelessness in family members of individuals with addiction. The scale is intended for use with Adult family members of individuals with alcohol, drug, or gambling problems.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 10 items organized into 2 factors/subscales: Hopefulness, Hopelessness.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Hopefulness | 1,5,8,9,10 | 5 |
| Hopelessness | 2,3,4,6,7 | 5 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Strongly disagree, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Don't know, 4 = Agree, 5 = Strongly agree.
The scale includes 5 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are summed to produce a total score.
Total scores range from 10 to 50. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Hopefulness / High Hopelessness: 10 – 22
- Moderate Hopefulness: 23 – 37
- High Hopefulness / Low Hopelessness: 38 – 50
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Not specified.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 3 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.