Measuring and comparing the attitudes and beliefs of staff working in New York methadone maintenance clinics

Scales measuring commitment to abstinence-oriented policies, attitudes to drug addiction, and knowledge of methadone maintenance were refined and tested in a survey of staff working in 14 New York maintenance programs. Confirmatory factor analysis established the validity of a 9-item Abstinence Orientation Scale and a 6-item Disapproval of Drug Use Scale. Scores on the two scales and Knowledge scores were highly correlated. There were highly significant differences in the mean Abstinence Orientation scores of the administrative and better qualified clinical staff on the one hand and the less qualified staff on the other. Senior staff generally rejected abstinence-oriented policies while nurses and counselors tended to support them.