Q methodology as an integrative approach: bridging quantitative and qualitative insights in a mixed methods study on mathematics teachers' beliefs.

Introduction: This study explores the beliefs of pre-service mathematics teachers regarding the teaching and learning of mathematics. Methods: We employed a mixed methods approach, combining quantitative Likert-scale surveys and Q methodology, an integrative quantitative and qualitative approach. A sample of 33 pre-service teachers participated in the study. Initially, Likert-scale surveys were used to ascertain general trends in belief orientations. Subsequently, the same participants engaged in a Q sort exercise, which allowed for a nuanced exploration of individual belief systems by prioritizing the same survey statements within a forced-choice grid. Qualitative interviews further enriched these findings. Results: Q methodology analysis identified distinct belief profiles, characterized by their prioritization of specific educational practices and the contextual and subjective interpretations that underpin these preferences. The qualitative interviews provided deeper insight into the reasoning behind participants' choices in the Q sort, illustrating the complex, sometimes contradictory nature of personally held beliefs that traditional Likert-scale approaches may obscure. Discussion: Our results underscore the utility of combining Q methodology with conventional teacher belief survey techniques to achieve a more holistic understanding of pre-service teachers' beliefs. This approach reveals the complexity within individual belief systems and highlights the potential for mixed methods research to refine the measurement and interpretation of psychological constructs in educational settings.

Parenting knowledge and parenting self-efficacy of mothers with borderline personality disorder and depression: "I know what to do but think I am not doing it".

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a complex mental health condition often associated with previous childhood adversity including maladaptive parenting. When becoming a parent themselves, mothers with BPD have difficulties with various parenting cognitions and practices, but unknown is whether they have appropriate knowledge of sensitive parenting. This study explored whether differences in parenting knowledge or self-efficacy are specific to BPD or also found in mothers with depression, and whether symptom severity or specific diagnosis better explain parenting perceptions. Mothers with BPD (n = 26), depression (n = 25) or HCs (n = 25) completed a Q-sort parenting knowledge task and a parenting self-efficacy questionnaire. Results showed mothers with BPD had the same knowledge of sensitive parenting behaviors as mothers with depression and healthy mothers. Self-reported parenting self-efficacy was lower in mothers with BPD and depression compared with healthy mothers, with symptom severity most strongly associated. A significant but low correlation was found between parenting self-efficacy and knowledge. Findings suggest that mothers with BPD and depression know what good parenting is but think they are not parenting well. Mental health difficulties are not associated with parenting knowledge, but symptom severity appears to be a common pathway to lower parenting self-efficacy. Future interventions should test whether reduction of symptom severity or positive parenting feedback could improve parenting self-efficacy.

Implementation strategies to promote compassionate nursing care of complex patients: An exploratory sequential mixed methods study.

INTRODUCTION: Individuals with multiple physical and, or, mental health issues and, or, drug-related problems are known as complex patients. These patients are often recipients of poor-quality care. Compassionate nursing care is valuable to promote better care experiences among this patient population. Implementation strategies should be designed to enhance compassionate nursing care delivery. The study aimed to gain understanding of barriers to compassionate care delivery to propose implementation to promote compassionate nursing care of complex patients. DESIGN: An exploratory sequential mixed methods study was conducted. METHODS: Phase 1 was the qualitative component during which 23 individuals with multimorbidities were interviewed for exploring their perceptions of barriers to compassionate nursing care. The barriers were integrated with implementation science frameworks using the building technique during phase 2 to develop a Q-sort survey of implementation strategies for phase 3. Nurses, nurse managers, health care administrators, policymakers, and compassionate care experts responded to the survey by ranking the 21 implementation strategies, out of which five met the Q-factor analysis criteria. RESULTS: Participant-perceived barriers to nurse compassion could be categorized under knowledge, intentions, skills, social influences, behavioral regulation, reinforcement, emotion, and environmental context and resources. The five highest-ranked strategies included facilitation, consultation with stress experts, involvement of patients and families, modeling compassion through shadowing, and utilizing implementation teams. CONCLUSIONS: Enablement and modeling were the integration functions represented by the highest-ranked implementation strategies. Enabling nurses to provide compassionate care through emotional support and mental health counseling, and, modeling compassion and compassionate care through shadowing were recommended and rated as highly relevant by the majority of stakeholders. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Enhancing nurses compassionate behaviors toward complex patients requires facilitating them in enacting compassion in practice through modeling and support from organizations and nurse managers.

Exploring US internal medicine resident career preferences: a Q-methodology study.

Career selection in medicine is a complex and underexplored process. Most medical career studies performed in the U.S. focused on the effect of demographic variables and medical education debt on career choice. Considering ongoing U.S. physician workforce shortages and the trilateral adaptive model of career decision making, a robust assessment of professional attitudes and work-life preferences is necessary. The objective of this study was to explore and define the dominant viewpoints related to career choice selection in a cohort of U.S. IM residents. We administered an electronic Q-sort in which 218 IM residents sorted 50 statements reflecting the spectrum of opinions that influence postgraduate career choice decisions. Participants provided comments that explained the reasoning behind their individual responses. In the final year of residency training, we ascertained participating residents' chosen career. Factor analysis grouped similar sorts and revealed four distinct viewpoints. We characterized the viewpoints as "Fellowship-Bound-Academic," "Altruistic-Longitudinal-Generalist," "Inpatient-Burnout-Aware," and "Lifestyle-Focused-Consultant." There is concordance between residents who loaded significantly onto a viewpoint and their ultimate career choice. Four dominant career choice viewpoints were found among contemporary U.S. IM residents. These viewpoints reflect the intersection of competing priorities, personal interests, professional identity, socio-economic factors, and work/life satisfaction. Better appreciation of determinants of IM residents' career choices may help address workforce shortages and enhance professional satisfaction.

Psychological intervention priorities according to perinatal women who experienced suicidal thoughts and perinatal mental health professionals: a Q-methodology study.

Introduction: Suicide is the leading direct cause of maternal death in the year following birth and the second leading cause during pregnancy, in the UK and Ireland. Currently no evidence-based psychological interventions exist specifically designed to reduce mothers' suicidal experiences during the perinatal period. Reducing suicidal ideation and behaviour in mothers is a priority to prevent deaths and lessen the distress felt by mothers and their families. As Q-methodology measures the consensus and disagreement between individuals on a given topic, the current study used Q-methodology to elicit the priorities for a future psychological intervention aimed at reducing suicidal ideation and behaviour during the perinatal period, from the collective perspectives of both mothers and professionals. Method: As part of this Q-methodology study, we developed a Q-set of 75 statements pertaining to possible elements of a psychological intervention that might help reduce a mother's suicidal ideation and behaviour during the perinatal period. Mothers and professionals were recruited via perinatal mental health services and social media advertisements. Results: Twenty-one mothers and 11 perinatal mental health professionals ranked each Q-set statement depending on its perceived importance in developing a new intervention. A centroid factor analysis was conducted and two factors, which accounted for 42% of the overall variance, were identified: Factor 1 "supporting the mother to create distance between herself and the appeal of suicide" and Factor 2 "establishing positive connections with the therapist, the baby and motherhood." All participants believed that developing plans to keep the mother safe from suicide was the most important aspect for inclusion in a future intervention. Participants who loaded onto Factor 1 also prioritised supporting mothers to learn more about triggers for their suicidal ideation and behaviour. Ensuring a robust therapeutic alliance was more important for those who loaded onto Factor 2. Conclusion: This is the first study using Q-methodology to explore the psychological intervention priorities of mothers and professionals. Findings indicate clear priorities in terms of planning and coping during a crisis, endorsed by all participants, and provide an initial step in the development of a new perinatal suicide prevention intervention.

Orientation of Healthcare Educators Towards Using an Effective Medical Simulation-Based Learning: A Q-Methodology Study.

Purpose: This study explores the healthcare educators' orientations about medical simulation in clinical skills training -its benefits, needs, challenges, and implications for proper implementation and integration into curricula. Methods: The study used a Q-sort technique, allowing quantitative and qualitative representation of the participants' orientations and was conducted at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A total of 22 healthcare educators from different roles were included. Participants pre-sorted into three categories and then ranked statements related to medical simulation, by level of agreement, and they answered open-ended and demographic questions. Data was uploaded to Ken-Q Analysis application to conduct Q-factor analysis. Results: A total of 22 healthcare educators participated in the study. Q-factor analysis was performed with principal component analysis and varimax rotation, identifying three factors. Most educators shared a similar orientation regarding the benefits of using simulation-based learning. Most participants considered medical simulation a simple, effortless, and beneficial method of learning. However, challenges in scheduling sessions and obtaining the necessary resources, such as human resources and funds, and lack of training had a negative impact on some participants' motivation to use medical simulation. Conclusion: Healthcare educators shed light on the influence of multiple factors on using medical simulation. The possibility for students to learn practical and clinical skills was a leading factor. Financial resources, funds, and faculty training were identified as challenges and needs. It is important for institutions and leaders to be aware of the variations in faculty perceptions and to provide resources and training to improve the current use of medical simulation.

Medical student and trainee doctor views on the 'good' doctor: Deriving implications for training from a Q-methods study.

PURPOSE: In context of changing patient demographics, this study explores what doctors and medical students believe being a 'good' doctor means and identifies implications for training. METHOD: Using Q-methodology, a purposive sample of 58 UK medical students and trainees sorted 40 responses to the prompt 'Being a "good" doctor means….' Participants explained their array choices in a post-sort questionnaire. Factor-groups, consensus and distinguishing statements were identified using Principal Components Analysis in R. RESULTS: Three factor-groups best described shared and divergent perspectives, accounting for 61.64% of variance. The largest, 'patient-centred generalist' group valued patient wellbeing and empowerment, compassion and complex needs. They prioritised knowledge breadth and understanding other specialties. The 'efficient working doctors' group valued good work-life balance, pay and did not seek challenge. Some believed these made a stressful career sustainable. The 'specialist' group valued skills mastery, expertise, depth of knowledge and leadership. Participant-groups were distributed across these factor-groups, all agreeing early specialisation should be avoided. CONCLUSIONS: The largest factor-group's perceptions of holistic, patient-centred care align with Royal Colleges' curricula adaptions to equip doctors with generalist skills to manage multi-morbid patients. However, curriculum designers should acknowledge implications of generalist approaches for doctors' formulation of professional identities.

Key strategies in scholarly writing instruction for doctor of nursing practice students: A Q-methodology study.

BACKGROUND: Development of scholarly writing skills in Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) students is essential to their capacity to advance nursing science after graduation. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to inform instructional design choices and teaching strategies for DNP writing courses by examining student viewpoints before and after completing a scholarly writing course. DESIGN: Q methodology was used to explore student self-perceptions of scholarly writing skills. SETTING: An online scholarly writing course at a large university in the midwestern United States. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-six DNP students with either a bachelor's or master's degree in nursing. METHODS: Before and after a scholarly writing course, students ranked 34 writing competency statements according to how well the statements described them. RESULTS: Three pre-course and four post-course factors represented student viewpoints of their scholarly writing knowledge, skills, and attitudes before and after a writing course. CONCLUSIONS: Effective instruction in scholarly writing for DNPs should include explicitly directed pre-writing activities, frequent opportunities to give and receive feedback, and training on management of emotional aspects of writing.

The Hierarchy of Defense Mechanisms: Assessing Defensive Functioning With the Defense Mechanisms Rating Scales Q-Sort.

The psychodynamic concept of defense mechanisms is nowadays considered by professionals with various theoretical orientations of great importance in the understanding of human development and psychological functioning. More than half century of empirical research has demonstrated the impact of defensive functioning in psychological well-being, personality organization and treatment process-outcome. Despite the availability of a large number of measures for their evaluation, only a few instruments assess the whole hierarchy of defenses, based on the Defense Mechanisms Rating Scales (DMRS), which arguably offers an observer-rated gold standard of assessment. The present article illustrates the theoretical and methodological background of the DMRS-Q, the Q-sort version of the DMRS for clinical use. Starting from the definition and function of the 30 defense mechanisms included in the hierarchy, we extracted 150 items that captured a full range of defensive manifestations according to the DMRS theory. The DMRS-Q set is described in this paper with reference to the DMRS manual. Directions are also provided for using the DMRS-Q online software for the free and unlimited coding of defense mechanisms. After each coding, the DMRS-Q software provides a report including qualitative and quantitative scores reflecting the individual's defensive functioning. Qualitative scores are displayed as the Defensive Profile Narratives (DPN), while quantitative scores are reported as Overall Defensive Functioning (ODF), defensive categories, defense levels, and individual defense mechanisms. Syntax for the scoring is displayed in the results and a clinical vignette of a psychotherapy session coded with the DMRS-Q is provided. The DMRS-Q is an easy-to-use, free, computerized measure that can help clinicians in monitoring changes in defense mechanisms, addressing therapeutic intervention, fostering symptoms decreasing and therapeutic alliance. Moreover, the DMRS-Q might be a valid tool for teaching the hierarchy of defense mechanisms and increase the observer-rated assessment of this construct in several research fields.

Fathering behavior, attachment, and engagement in childcare predict testosterone and cortisol.

The present study examined testosterone (T) and cortisol (Cort) in fathers engaged with caregiving. We collected saliva samples in the mornings and evenings of two consecutive days in 150 fathers of 1- to 5-year-old children. Fathers completed questionnaires on socioeconomic status, family structure and life, sleep characteristics and body mass index (BMI), and reported on their engagement in childcare. Fathers used smartphone-based experience sampling throughout 1 week to sample ongoing activities with their children, including times of supervision, joint play, rough-and-tumble play, and cuddling episodes. External observers rated father-child attachment during a home visit. We began by testing for widely characterized covariates of T and excluded seasonal variations and known predictors associated with lowered T, such as older fathers and those with multiple and young children, lower BMI, shorter sleep duration, and sexual activity before sampling. Most interestingly, however, fathers' engagement in childcare and attachment to the child appeared more pronounced the greater the diurnal decline in T. Cuddling predicted a similar negative association, whereas joint play and rough-and-tumble play (RTP) showed enhancing effects on declining T. Interestingly, all fathering behaviors (except RTP) were positively related to lower Cort. In contrast, supervision was ineffective on both Cort and T.

Mentalization, attachment, and defense mechanisms: a Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual-2-oriented empirical investigation.

Mentalizing capacities depends on the quality of primary attachment interactions with caregivers who thinks of the child as a subject with mental states. Operationalized as reflective functioning, mentalization is crucial for regulating emotions and developing of a coherent sense of identity, for interacting with individuals making sense to own and others mental states, and for distinguishing internal and external realities without distortions. Although the clinical literature on interplay between mentalization, attachment, and emotional regulation is rich, the empirical research is limited. This study sought to explore connections between reflective functioning, attachment styles, and implicit emotion regulation, operationalized as defense mechanisms, in a group of depressive patients. Twenty-eight patients were interviewed using the adult attachment interview (AAI) and diagnosed using the Psychodynamic Chart-2 of the Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual, Second Edition. The reflective functioning scale and the defense mechanisms rating scale Qsort were applied to AAI transcriptions to assess reflective functioning and defensive profile. Patients with secure attachment showed significantly higher levels in reflective functioning and overall defensive functioning as compared to those with insecure attachment. Good reflective functioning and secure attachment correlated with mature defenses and specific defensive mechanisms that serve in better regulating affective states. Overall, the relationship between mentalization, attachment and emotion regulation lay the foundations for the delineation of defensive profiles associated with attachment patterns and reflective functioning in depressive patients. The systematic assessment of these psychological dimensions with gold-standard tools may help in tailoring personalized therapeutic interventions and promoting more effective treatments.

The Relationship between Posttreatment Smile Esthetics and the ABO Objective Grading System: Class I Extraction versus Non-Extraction Cases.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between the components of the objective grading system developed by the American Board of Orthodontics (ABO) and smile esthetics in Class I extraction vs non-extraction cases. METHODS: A total of 40 extraoral smile images of orthodontically treated (20 extraction and 20 non-extraction) cases in the age group of 13-30 years and Class I skeletal malocclusion with an average mandibular plane angle were selected. Smile images were rated only by the orthodontist, and this panel included 12 members. Scoring of post-treatment dental casts and panoramic radiographs of each patient was performed by 1 investigator per the guidelines of the ABO grading system. The Pearson correlation coefficient and logistic regression analysis were used to ascertain whether the scores of the ABO grading system could foretell whether a smile would be "attractive" or "unattractive." RESULTS: The correlation between all the criteria of the ABO grading system and attractiveness of the smile was extremely weak. The r values ranged from -0.53 to 0.37 for extraction cases and -0.63 to 0.003 for non-extraction cases (p>0.05). Neither individual parameters nor total scores of the ABO grading system could predict whether the smile was attractive or unattractive in either group. CONCLUSION: No correlation was found between post-treatment ABO grading and smile esthetics in patients with extraction or non-extraction. Hence, this study recommends that ancillary soft tissue variables have to be incorporated into the grading system to evaluate a smile.

The role of safety-related criteria in selection of rope-technology equipment for emergency rescue operations.

In one of the extreme areas of disaster relief, the volunteer rescue organizations that carry out special rescue operations - most of their civil volunteers having gained their knowledge by practising extreme sports - have an increasingly significant role. Professional-level alpine activity or cave tour guiding has developed from amateur, hobby-like rock climbing or caving; however, there were no professional specifications elaborated for the former activities. Although the activities of a large number of such organizations, in general, are regulated, the safety specifications of the equipment and devices used for rescue, in particular, are not regulated. The methodology and operational procedures of special rescues are not sufficiently elaborated either. The purpose of this study is to provide answers to the issue of safe usability of rope-technology equipment by a related Q-sort on equipment use and to make suggestions of improvements, thus preventing accidents.

Affect regulation in psychoanalytic treatments of patients with a borderline personality disorder-psychoanalysis and psychodynamic psychotherapy-a comparison.

BACKGROUND: A recent meta-analysis has confirmed that the effects of psychotherapy on patients with borderline personality disorders (BPD) are still insufficiently understood. Evidence of differences between different types of therapies has been questioned. AIM: To study repetitive interaction patterns in patients with BPD undergoing either psychoanalysis or psychodynamic therapy. METHODS: Psychoanalysis (PSA) or psychodynamic psychotherapy (PDT) was administered to 10 patients each, the two groups were matched. Therapy regimens were applied according to care as usual/manualized including quality control and supervision as usual. Randomization to one of the groups was done after baseline assessment. During classical PSA (n = 10) and PDT (n = 10), semiannually, recordings (audio or video) of five consecutive therapy sessions were taken over three years for an ex-post analysis. The patients' characteristics, such as affect parameters [Affect regulation and experience Q-sort (AREQ)], quality of object relations (quality of object relations scale) and personality traits [Shedler-Westen Assessment Procedure (SWAP-200)] were analyzed retrospectively by independent raters. Therapeutic action (psychotherapy process Q-sort) and affective (re)actions of the patients (AREQ) were then analyzed in relation to changes found in the patients' characteristics. RESULTS: During the first year of therapy (PSA: n = 10; PDT: n = 9), the therapeutic method PSA was associated with significant improvements in the variable "SWAP Borderline", while in PDT change was not significantly different to baseline (PSA: P = 0.04; PDT: P = 0.33). Long-term results and follow up was available for seven participants in PSA and for five in PDT after three years; change in SWAP borderline for the whole sample was not significant at this time point when confronting to baseline (P = 0.545). However, differences between PSA and PDT were significant when analyzing the "mean change" in the SWAP Borderline variable after one year of therapy (P = 0.024): PSA led to slightly increased BPD symptoms, while PDT to a decrease; for the long run, variance of observed change was higher in PSA than in PDT (SDPSA ± 9.29 vs SDPDT ± 7.94). Our assumption that transference interpretations, closely followed by affective changes in the patient, could be useful modes of interaction was reproducible in our findings, especially when looking at the descriptive findings in the long-term data. The analysis of repetitive interaction structures demonstrated a very specific "time-lag" between therapeutic intervention and a corresponding increase in positive affect in successful therapy cases. CONCLUSION: Exploring the change processes in the patients' characteristics and linking these changes to specific treatment strategies is of clinical importance when starting treatment and for its long-term progress.

Assessing children's defense mechanisms with the Defense Mechanisms Rating Scales Q-sort for Children.

Defense mechanisms are unconscious and automatic psychological processes that serve to protect the individual from painful emotions and thoughts. There is ample evidence from the adult psychotherapy and mental health literature suggesting the salience of defenses in the maintenance and amelioration of psychological distress. Although several tools for the assessment of children's defenses exist, most rely on projective and self-report tools, and none are based on the empirically derived hierarchy of defenses. This paper outlines the development of the defense mechanisms rating scale Q-sort for children (DMRS-Q-C), a 60-item, observer-rated tool for coding the use of defenses in child psychotherapy sessions. Modifications to the Defense Mechanisms Rating Scale Q-Sort for adults to create a developmentally relevant measure and the process by which expert child psychotherapists collaborated to develop the DMRS-Q-C are discussed. A clinical vignette describing the child's defensive functioning as assessed by the innovative DMRS-Q-C method is also reported. Finally, we provide an overview of forthcoming research evaluating the validity of the DMRS-Q-C.

[Types of Perception Toward Quarantine Measures among Patients Infected with COVID-19].

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to identify the types of perception toward quarantine measures at hospitals or community treatment centers among patients infected with COVID-19. METHODS: This study applied Q-methodology. Two hundred and nineteen Q populations were constructed based on related literature and in-depth interviews with 5 adults infected with COVID-19 and who experienced quarantine and hospitalization. Interviews were performed from November 14 to 29, 2020. A total of 45 Q samples were extracted and Q sorting was performed using a 9-point scale for 30 adult subjects who experienced quarantine at hospitals and community treatment centers. The data were analyzed using the PC-QUANL program. RESULTS: The perception of subjects toward quarantine measures was classified into the following six types: 'passive acceptance', 'social stigma perception', 'appreciation of daily life through awareness of the realities of illness', 'why me?', 'fearful perception', and 'positive meaning'. CONCLUSION: The perception of quarantine measure among patients with COVID-19 is identified as six types with positive and negative emotional characteristics. This result will contribute to the development of individualized strategies to address psychosocial health problems among patients with infectious diseases.

Practitioners' perspectives on ethical issues within the treatment of eating disorders: Results from a concept mapping study.

OBJECTIVE: Treating patients with eating disorders (EDs) is associated with an array of ethical concerns, including balancing patients' health and autonomy, access to care, and use of harm-reduction versus recovery-oriented treatment models. The primary aim of the current study is to gain a better understanding of ethical issues faced by ED practitioners by using a concept mapping, or Q-sort, approach. METHOD: A total of 12 practitioners completed the brainstorming phase and generated statements regarding ethical issues they faced while treating patients with EDs. A subsequent 38 practitioners completed a sorting task, where they created and labeled piles, into which they grouped each statement. Of those 38 participants, 30 rated both the frequency with which they encountered each ethical issue and its impact on patient care. RESULTS: A total of six clusters emerged: Insufficient Level of Care, Lack of Evidence-Based Practice, Insurance Barriers, Family Involvement, Patient Autonomy, and Limited Access to Expertise. Lack of Evidence-Based Practice, Insurance Barriers, and Insufficient Level of Care was the most frequent problem faced by ED practitioners, whereas Insurance Barriers and Patient Autonomy had the greatest impact. DISCUSSION: Findings outline frequent and impactful areas of ethical concern that arise when treating patients diagnosed with EDs. Practitioners most commonly reported that patient- and insurance-driven factors limited patient access to appropriate care. Regulations supporting the provision of evidence-based care should be emphasized in public health policy and advocacy efforts, given their impact in limiting the delivery of adequate patient care.

[Mothers' Experiences of Caring for Children with Precocious Puberty: A Q-Methodological Approach].

PURPOSE: This study explored experiences of mothers caring for children with precocious puberty. METHODS: Q-methodology was used for analyzing individual subjectivity. Seventy Q-statements were selected and scored by 50 participants on an 11-point scale. The collected data were analyzed using the PC QUANL program. RESULTS: The following eight types of care experiences of mothers of children with precocious puberty were identified: Type I-1: hypersensitive and best-result oriented, Type I-2: treatment burden, Type II-1: treatment-oriented, Type II-2: self-blame, Type III-1: accepting and compliant, Type III-2: treatment confused, Type IV-1: serious and engaged, and Type IV-2: naturalism-oriented. CONCLUSION: These results can help develop specific education programs based on types of care experiences for the promotion of care among mothers of children with precocious puberty.

Dataset on maternal attitudes about child maltreatment in nine countries using a Q-sort methodology.

Analyses of the present data are reported in the article "Crossing Boundaries: A Pilot Study of Maternal Attitudes about Child Maltreatment in Nine Countries" [8]. Data were collected during home visits using the Maltreatment Q-Sort (MQS). A total of 466 mothers from nine different countries gave their opinion about child maltreatment by sorting 90 cards with parenting behaviors taken from the literature that reflect four types of child maltreatment, into 9 evenly distributed stacks (with 10 cards each) from least to most harmful for the child. This data article provides an overview of the content of the 90 items, which type of maltreatment they reflect, and the source of the items. The percentage of mothers labelling each of the MQS items as maltreatment is also presented. In addition, instructions are included about the administration of the MQS as well as data-entry and analyses of Q-sort data, accompanied by example datasets and syntaxes. This can serve as a manual for researchers interested in using Q-sort data.