MAXIMUM 250 words, now 250 words)Background: Attitudes towards medication can affect treatment outcomes and adherence through mechanisms such as placebo and nocebo effects. Although both negative and positive attitudes towards medication are of importance, previous research mainly investigated the impact of negative attitudes towards medication. This focus is also reflected in existing self-report scales, most of which measure negative beliefs about medication in general and/or focus on specific medication. To assess both negative and positive attitudes towards medication in general, the General Attitude towards Medication Questionnaire (GAMQ) was developed.Method: For the GAMQ, 12 items largely based on existing questionnaires were selected. It was validated in 4 Dutch samples: 2 samples of 508 and 279 respondents of the general population, and 2 samples of 121 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and 70 patients with atopic dermatitis.Results: Factor analyses indicated three subscales representing "Trust in medication", "Concerns about medication", and "Reluctance to use medication", which were structurally stable across the samples. The total scale showed good internal consistency. Medium to strong correlations with other measures of general medication attitude (e.g. BMQ-G), indicated good convergent validity.Furthermore, exploring its predictive validity indicated that the GAMQ correlated with expected medication outcomes.
Conclusion:Results suggest that the GAMQ is suitable for assessing general medication attitudes, both negative and positive, in a wide variety of research settings and in various patient populations.Due to its balanced nature, the GAMQ may be especially informative when investigating predictors of treatment outcomes and adherence, as well as determinants of placebo and nocebo effects.