Validity and reliability of Turkish version of revised depression attitude questionnaire (R-DAQ)

Aim: Depression is a health problem affecting 350 billion people around the world. In Turkey, it creates 10.7% of dissability charge in women and 6.4% in men. In addition, depression takes 4'th place in top 10 disability causing disease charge. Because of their positions, family physicians are the first, and in some communities only, consultant for depressed individuals. Concerns of patients about disclosure of their situation and the knowledge and attitudes of the family physicians about depression play an inhibitive role. The aim of this study is to investigate the validity and reliability of the Revised Depression Attitude Questionnaire (R-DAQ) in Turkish culture to assess the attitudes of health professionals towards depressed patients. Method: The study conducted in the methodological research model has been carried out with the participation of 302 family physicians working in the central province of Izmir. Socio-demographic data form, Revised Depression Attitude Questionnaire (RDAQ) and Beliefs Towards Mental Illness Scale (RHYIS) were applied via electronic mail using a web-based questionnaire preparation program. The reliability of the analysis scale of the data was determined by Cronbach alpha internal consistency, split half and Pearson correlation analysis. Exploratory factor analysis and similar scales correlation was done for validity of the scale. Result: The 22-item R-DAQ is a quintet Likert structured scale. 9 items of the scale did not work in Turkish form. Factor analysis findings showed that the 13-item RDAQ items account for 45.473% of the total variance. The Cronbach alpha value for the whole of the scale was 0.304 and the values for the subscales were 0.659 for the Selfefficacy subscale, 0.520 for the General Viewpoint subscale, and 0.562 for the Pessimistic view of Depression subscale. In the split half test r was 0,202 and no halftest fit was found. The validity and reliability of R-DAQ to the Turkish language has been evaluated as low. Key Words:Depression, Attitude,R-DAQ, Validity and reliabilty