A comparison sample validation of "your workplace": an instrument to measure perceived alcohol support and consequences from the work environment.

This paper addresses the psychometric properties of Your Workplace (YWP), an instrument developed to measure perceived influence of workplace norms and attitudes on alcohol involvement and the experience of adverse consequences. Data were collected from a large, geographically dispersed sample of aftercare and outpatients recruited for a multisite clinical trial of alcoholism treatments, Project MATCH. Administration of YWP at the baseline assessment was restricted to workforce participants. A confirmatory factor analysis addressed instrument structure. Internal consistency and concurrent association between measures of general social support, alcohol specific support, and alcohol involvement were examined. YWP scales were found to have adequate internal consistency reliability. Correlation between YWP scales and concurrent measures of alcohol involvement were among the strongest found. Identification of workplace influences on alcohol involvement allows refined assessment and fosters a comprehensive approach to treatment of alcoholism.