According to recent research from Canberra, Australia, "Self-stigma may feature strongly and be detrimental for people with depression, but the understanding of its nature and prevalence is limited by the lack of psychometrically-validated measures. This study aimed to develop and validate a measure of self-stigma about depression."
"Items assessing self-stigma were developed from focus group discussions, and were tested and refined over three studies using surveys of 408 university students, 330 members of a depression Internet network, and 1312 members of the general Australian public. Evaluation involved item-level and bivariate analyses, and factor analytic procedures. Items performed consistently across the three surveys. The resulting Self-Stigma of Depression Scale (SSDS) comprised 16 items representing subscales of Shame, Self-Blame, Social Inadequacy, and Help-Seeking Inhibition. Construct validity, internal consistency and test-retest reliability were satisfactory. The SSDS distinguishes self-stigma from perceptions of stigma by others, yields in-depth information about self-stigma of depression, and possesses good psychometric properties," wrote L.J. Barney and colleagues, Australian National University.
The researchers concluded: "It is a promising tool for the measurement of self-stigma and is likely to be useful in further understanding self-stigma and evaluating stigma interventions."
Barney and colleagues published their study in International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research (The Self-Stigma of Depression Scale (SSDS): development and psychometric evaluation of a new instrument. International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research, 2010;19(4):243-254).
For additional information, contact L.J. Barney, Australian National University, Mental Health Research Center, GPO Box 4, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia.
Publisher contact information for the International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research is: John Wiley & Sons Ltd., the Atrium, Southern Gate, Chichester PO19 8SQ, W Sussex, England.
Keywords: City:Canberra, Country:Australia, Internet Networks, Mental Health, Psychiatric, Psychiatry, World Wide Web
This article was prepared by Psychology & Psychiatry Journal editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2011, Psychology & Psychiatry Journal via NewsRx.com.
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