Author: Chris Barker
Company: UCL

OPINIONS ABOUT PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS

Version: 18 August 2004

This questionnaire has two parts. The first asks about how you view the causes of your problems; the second asks how you think these problems can be helped.

PART 1: CAUSES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS

People have different views about what causes psychological problems. The following questions ask for your opinion of the causes of your own problems. There are no right or wrong answers: your own opinion is what counts. Please indicate how much you agree or disagree with each statement by using the following scale. Circle one number for each statement.

Disagree 	Disagree	Disagree	Agree		Agree		Agree
strongly	moderately	mildly		mildly		moderately	strongly

	-3		-2		-1		+1		+2		+3

Disagree strongly

Disagree moderately

Disagree mildly

Agree mildly

Agree moderately

Agree strongly

MY PROBLEMS ARE CAUSED BY: 

1.	Feelings that are buried out of sight.		-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

2.	Illogical beliefs.				-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

3.	Other people not accepting me for
	who I am.					-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

4.	Becoming too anxious in certain
	situations.					-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

5.	A disorder of the brain or nervous
	system.						-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

6.	Worrying too much about what other
	people think of me.				-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

7.	Exaggerating the importance of things
	that may happen.				-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

8.	Unemployment or an unsatisfactory job.	-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

9.	Events that happened in childhood.		-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

10.	Having learnt bad habits over the years.	-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3
11.	An inherited physical cause.			-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

12.	Repeating old patterns in relationships
	with other people.				-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

13.	Hiding feelings from friends or family.	-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

14.	Lack of money.				-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

15.	Running away from responsibilities.		-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

16.	Repressing basic human impulses.		-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

17.	Thinking about myself too much.		-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

18.	Having learnt the wrong reactions to
	certain situations.				-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

19.	Unsatisfactory means of transport.		-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

20.	Not paying attention to my feelings.		-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

21.	Making harsh judgments of myself.		-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

22.	A lack of will power.				-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

23.	Not accepting myself for who I am.	.	-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

24.	Conflicting feelings about my parents
	when I was young.				-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

25.	Dissatisfaction with the community I
	live in.						-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

26.	Not having a realistic view of the good
	and the bad things that have happened.	-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

27.	Conflicts in my unconscious mind.		-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

28.	Illness, such as colds or flu.			-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

29.	The state of the economy.			-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

30.	Unrealistic thinking.				-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

31.	Rewards or punishments received in the
	past.						-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

32.	A conscience that won't let me alone.		-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

33.	Not liking myself.				-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

34.	Having unrealistic expectations.		-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

35.	Something going wrong with my body.	-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

36.	Not understanding what I really feel
	inside.						-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

37.	Laziness.					-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

38.	Not having learnt the right ways to cope
	with certain situations.				-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

39.	Not being true to myself.			-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

40.	Other people being unreasonable.		-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

41.	Putting myself down for no reason.		-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

42.	Poor housing.					-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

43.	The wrong balance of chemicals in my
	body.						-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

44.	Bad luck or fate.				-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

45.	Having learnt wrong ways of doing things
	from someone else.				-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

46.	Unsatisfactory relationships with other
	people.						-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

47.	It’s impossible to explain the cause of
	my problems.					-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

If you think there are other important causes not listed above, please add them here:

OPINIONS ABOUT PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS

PART 2: HELP FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS

People have different views about what may help psychological problems. The following questions ask for your opinion of how your own problems could be helped. There are no right or wrong answers: your own opinion is what counts. Please indicate how much you agree or disagree with each statement by using the following scale. Circle one number for each statement.

Disagree	Disagree	Disagree	Agree		Agree		Agree
strongly	moderately	mildly		mildly		moderately	strongly

	-3		-2		-1		+1		+2		+3

Disagree strongly

Disagree moderately

Disagree mildly

Agree mildly

Agree moderately

Agree strongly

A GOOD WAY TO HELP MY PROBLEMS
WOULD BE:

1.	Taking the attitude that I should
	count my blessings, rather than
	looking on the dark side of things.		-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

2.	Having an expert show me how to think
	in a more logical way.				-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

3.	Getting tablets to regulate my mood.		-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

4.	Learning to pay attention to my feelings.	-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

5.	Discussing the problems with someone
	in an honest, person-to-person way.		-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

6.	Understanding the childhood origins of
	the problems.					-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

7.	Having an expert teach me better ways of
	reacting to certain situations.			-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

8.	Getting medication.				-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

9.	Better housing.					-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

10.	Having an expert point out the meaning
	of my dreams and fantasies.			-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

11.	An improvement in the economy.		-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

12.	Examining, with an expert, what
	situations make the problems better
	or worse.					-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

13.	Talking to an expert about my relationship
	with my parents when I was young.		-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

14.	Having someone listen to my feelings
	without giving advice.				-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

15.	Worrying less about what other people
	think of me.					-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

16.	Learning to live with the problems, rather
	than trying to change them.			-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

17.	Being shown by an expert how to change
	my outlook on the problems.			-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

18.	Learning to accept myself for who I am.	-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

19.	Taking my mind off myself.			-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

20.	Having medical treatment to put the
	chemicals of my body back into balance.	-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

21.	A better community to live in.			-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

22.	Learning the skills needed in
	difficult situations.				-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

23.	Putting my bad feelings aside,
	so I can feel more cheerful.			-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

24.	Tackling the problems in a planned,
	step-by-step way.				-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

25.	Learning to think more realistically.		-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

26.	Having other people change, rather
	than changing myself.				-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

27.	Having an expert teach me specific
	ways to change my behaviour.			-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

28.	Discovering what I really feel inside.		-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

29.	Deciding to ‘keep a stiff upper lip’.		-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

30.	Talking about my feelings to someone
	I trust.						-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

31.	Learning to think differently about
	the problems.					-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

32.	Having an expert analyse my
	unconscious reasons for doing things.		-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

33.	Keeping busy, so as not to think
	about the problems.				-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

34.	Hearing from other people that I am
	doing well or trying hard.			-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

35.	Getting a satisfactory job.			-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

36.	Learning to judge myself less harshly.		-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

37.	Talking to someone who listens closely
	to what I’m really saying.			-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

38.	Realising how I repeat old patterns
	in relationships with other people.		-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

39.	Deciding to ‘grin and bear it’.			-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

40.	Getting tablets.					-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

41.	Getting physically fit and healthy.		-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

42.	Having an expert point out that how
I think about myself can sometimes
	be wrong.					-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

43.	Better means of transport.			-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

44.	Coming to understand feelings or
	impulses that I'm not aware of.		-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

45.	Having more money.				-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

46.	Using will power to overcome the
	problems.					-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

47.	There’s nothing that can be done to
	help my problems.				-3	-2	-1	+1	+2	+3

If you think there are other ways in which your problems could be helped, please add them here: