| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Description | The Opinions About Mental Illness Scale (OMI; Cohen & Struening, 1962) measures the underlying dimensions of opinions about severe mental illness among hospital personnel. It consists of 51 items related to the cause, description, treatment, and prognosis of mental illness, developed from case conference quotations and supplemented with items from other scales. The OMI covers five key opinion-attitude dimensions: Authoritarianism, Benevolence, Mental Hygiene Ideology, Social Restrictiveness, and Interpersonal Etiology. The scale uses 6-point Likert-type response scales. |
| Author | Jacob Cohen; E. L. Struening |
| Purpose | To measure opinions about severe mental illness among hospital personnel, focusing on key attitudes and dimensions. |
| Construct | Attitudes toward Mental Illness |
| Instrument Type | Rating Scale |
| Administration Method | Paper |
| Test Year | 1962 |
| Format | 51 items rated on 6-point Likert-type response scales |
| Test Items Available | Yes |
| Reliability | Internal consistency: Alpha coefficients ranged from .21 (Scale D in Hospital I) to .82 (Scale A in Hospital I) across two hospitals and five subscales. |
| Validity | Factor validity: Validity coefficients ranged from .43 (Scale D in Hospital I) to .89 (Scale A in Hospital I). |
| Factor Analysis | Not indicated. |
| Classification | Treatment, Rehabilitation, and Therapeutic Processes |
| Age Group | Adulthood (18 years & older) |
| Population Group | Human; Male; Female |
| Population Details | Sample: Mental Hospital Personnel; Location: United States |
| Keywords | Mental Hospital Personnel; Opinions About Mental Illness Scale; Test Development; Attitudes |
| Index Terms | Health Personnel Attitudes; Mental Health Personnel; Mental Illness (Attitudes Toward); Rating Scales; Test Construction |
| Reference | Cohen, J., & Struening, E. L. (1962). Opinions about mental illness in the personnel of two large mental hospitals. The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 64(5), 349–360. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0045526 |
Cite this article
Mohammed looti (2026). Opinions About Mental Illness Scale. PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Retrieved from https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/opinions-about-mental-illness-scale/
Mohammed looti. "Opinions About Mental Illness Scale." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 4 Apr. 2026, https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/opinions-about-mental-illness-scale/.
Mohammed looti. "Opinions About Mental Illness Scale." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 2026. https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/opinions-about-mental-illness-scale/.
Mohammed looti (2026) 'Opinions About Mental Illness Scale', PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Available at: https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/opinions-about-mental-illness-scale/.
[1] Mohammed looti, "Opinions About Mental Illness Scale," PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, vol. X, no. Y, ص Z-Z, April, 2026.
Mohammed looti. Opinions About Mental Illness Scale. PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. 2026;vol(issue):pages.