The Mental Health Locus of Origin (MHLO) Scale: Review, Factor Analysis, and Recommendations for Future Use

Beazley, Peter ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8821-1213, Wilkins, Rosie, Baldwin, George and Young, Samantha (2026) The Mental Health Locus of Origin (MHLO) Scale: Review, Factor Analysis, and Recommendations for Future Use. Archives of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy. ISSN 2083-828X (In Press)

Microsoft Word (OpenXML) (MHLO Manuscript full -changes accepted) - Accepted Version Restricted to Repository staff only until 31 December 2099. Available under License Creative Commons Attribution.

Abstract

Aim: The Mental Health Locus of Origin (MHLO) scale purports to assess public beliefs about the causes of mental illness. The aim of the present study was to review the factor structure of the measure. Method: The present article reports a factor analysis of the MHLO scale in a UK adult employed sample. Results: A confirmatory factor analysis indicated a poor fit of the original single factor structure. Subsequent exploratory factor analyses suggested that an adapted single factor structure using a smaller number of the items was potentially ascertainable, but still did not perform well and was of doubtful value. Discussion: The original factor structure for the measure did not perform well in our sample. An alternative scale linked to a belief that stress vulnerabilities and innate factors were relevant in causing mental health conditions showed improved fit, but is of limited practical value. Conclusion: Recommendations are made for the future development of multi-dimensional scales to measure public beliefs about a wider range of causal factors and aetiologies of mental health conditions.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Data availability statement: The data used in these analyses are available via the following repository: https://osf.io/5dmh6/files
Depositing User:	LivePure Connector
Date Deposited:	11 Sep 2026 10:23
Last Modified:	11 Sep 2026 10:23
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/104489
DOI:	issn:2083-828X

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