What the study found
The study found that a tailored 15-item version of the Evidence-Based Practice Attitude Scale had adequate psychometric properties in a sample of Puerto Rican mental health professionals. The scale’s first-order factor model was supported, and most subscales showed strong reliability.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors conclude that the scale may be useful for assessing attitudes toward evidence-based practices, meaning research-based interventions, in Spanish-speaking and Caribbean mental health settings. They also say the findings add to the limited literature on culturally and linguistically validated measures in Latin America.
What the researchers tested
The researchers administered a culturally and linguistically tailored version of the 15-item Evidence-Based Practice Attitude Scale to 222 Puerto Rican mental health professionals working in schools, healthcare clinics, and community organizations. They used confirmatory factor analysis, a statistical method for testing whether a proposed set of underlying factors fits the data, along with reliability estimates and model fit checks in RStudio.
What worked and what didn't
The confirmatory factor analysis supported a first-order factor model. Most subscales had strong reliability coefficients, ranging from 0.83 to 0.91, while the divergence subscale had a lower coefficient of 0.77. After allowing covariance between two items in the appeal dimension, the correlated factor model showed satisfactory fit, although some misspecification was observed.
What to keep in mind
The abstract describes a sample from Puerto Rico, so the findings are limited to that group and the settings studied. The summary also notes some model misspecification, but it does not provide more detailed limitations.
Key points
- A tailored 15-item Evidence-Based Practice Attitude Scale was tested in 222 Puerto Rican mental health professionals.
- The first-order factor model was supported by confirmatory factor analysis.
- Most subscales showed strong reliability, with coefficients between 0.83 and 0.91.
- The divergence subscale had a lower reliability coefficient of 0.77.
- Allowing covariance between two appeal items improved model fit, though some misspecification remained.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- EBPAS showed adequate fit in Puerto Rican mental health professionals
- Authors:
- Natalia Giraldo-Santiago, Julián M. Hernández-Torres, Daniel McNeish, Robin E. Gearing, Gregory A. Aarons
- Institutions:
- Arizona State University, Harvard University, Massachusetts General Hospital, UC San Diego Health System, University of California San Diego, University of Houston, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus
- Publication date:
- 2026-03-09
- OpenAlex record:
- View
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