The aim of this study is to develop and validate a new instrument, the Beliefs about Mental Illness Scale (BAMIS). This scale was designed to evaluate the beliefs underlying the nature of mental illness. In Study 1, items were developed based on 60 interviews with mental health professionals, relatives of mental inpatients, and focus groups with psychology students. Study 2 was conducted with 491 college students, at the mean age of 23 years (SD = 6.00), and aimed to test the validity and internal consistency of the scale. Study 3 was performed with 254 students at the mean age of 25 years (SD = 8.00) and aimed to replicate the previous study using a confirmatory approach. Across three studies, the BAMIS demonstrated a stable factor structure, consisting of six factors (psychological, socioeconomic, biological, drug use, religious and contingency), all with high internal consistency coefficients. The final version of the scale was composed of thirty items.
Beliefs; mental health; scale; validation
