How to Develop and Evaluate a Self-Report Questionnaire: A Psychometric Case Study of a New Instrument to Assess Perceived Mental Health–Related Stigma

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian Kohlmann ◽  
Laura Stielow ◽  
Benjamin Gierk
2021 ◽  
pp. 002076402110025
Author(s):  
Bárbara Almeida ◽  
Ana Samouco ◽  
Filipe Grilo ◽  
Sónia Pimenta ◽  
Ana Maria Moreira

Background: Physicians, including psychiatrists and general practitioners (GPs), have been reported as essential sources of stigma towards people diagnosed with a mental disorder (PDMDs), which constitutes an important barrier to recovery and is associated with poorer clinical outcomes. Therefore, psychiatrists and GPs are key populations where it is crucial to examine stigma, improve attitudes and reduce discrimination towards psychiatric patients. Aims: This study is the first to explore mental health-related stigma among Portuguese psychiatrists and GPs, examining the differences between these two specialities and assessing whether sociodemographic and professional variables are associated with stigma. Method: A cross-sectional study was performed between June 2018 and August 2019. A consecutive sample of 55 Psychiatrists and 67 GPs working in Porto (Portugal) filled a 25-item self-report questionnaire to assess their attitudes towards PDMDs in clinical practice. The instrument was designed by the authors, based on previous mental health-related stigma studies and validated scales. The questionnaire includes 12 stigma dimensions ( Autonomy, Coercion, Incompetence, Dangerousness, Permanence, Pity, Responsibility, Segregation, Labelling, Diagnostic Overshadowing, Shame and Parental Incompetence), and its total score was used to measure Overall Stigma (OS). Sample characteristics were examined using descriptive statistics, and the factors affecting stigma were assessed through regression analysis. Results: GPs exhibit significantly higher OS levels than psychiatrists, and present higher scores in the dimensions of dangerousness, parental incompetence, diagnostic overshadowing and responsibility. Besides medical speciality, several other sociodemographic variables were associated with sigma, including age, gender, having a friend with a mental disorder, professional category, agreement that Psychiatry diverges from core medicine and physician’s interest in mental health topics. Conclusions: Our data suggest that both psychiatrists and GPs hold some degree of stigmatizing attitudes towards PDMDs. Overall, these results bring new light to stigma research, and provide information to tailor anti-stigma interventions to Portuguese psychiatrists and GPs.


2021 ◽  
Vol 85 (3) ◽  
pp. 316-330
Author(s):  
Julie M. Petersen ◽  
Carrie Durward ◽  
Michael Levin

Weight self-stigma, the internalization of negative societal stereotypes, is a problem among populations with high weight. Weight self-stigma is associated with psychological inflexibility and maladaptive health-related behaviors. In this study, the authors explore how weight-related psychological inflexibility may influence weight self-stigma and health-related outcomes in 79 adults with high weight. Participants were primarily White (92.4%) and female (82.3%), with an average age of 39.56 years and average body mass index of 33.78. The study uses baseline, self-report data from a larger trial. Results indicate that weight self-stigma was negatively correlated with maladaptive eating behaviors, weight, and mental health. Weight-related psychological inflexibility was found as a significant mediator for the relationship between weight self-stigma and emotional eating, sedentary behavior, and mental health. Weight-related psychological inflexibility did not mediate the relationships between weight self-stigma and other eating measures and physical activity. These results support targeting weight-related psychological inflexibility and weight self-stigma in interventions.


Author(s):  
Petra C. Gronholm ◽  
Claire Henderson ◽  
Tanya Deb ◽  
Graham Thornicroft

There is a rich literature on the nature of mental health-related stigma and the processes by which it severely affects the life chances of people with mental health problems. Applying this knowledge to deliver and evaluate interventions to reduce stigma in a lasting way is, however, a complex and long-term challenge. This chapter outlines how mental health-related stigma and discrimination have been defined; describes the negative impact they have on people with mental illness; summarizes anti-stigma strategies and the evidence regarding their effectiveness; and makes suggestions for future intervention development and evaluation. It seems likely that short-term interventions may only have a short-term impact, with the implication being the need to study longer-term interventions and to use interim process and outcome data to improve interventions along the way.


2020 ◽  
Vol 45 (5) ◽  
pp. 509-520
Author(s):  
Kelsey T Laird ◽  
Craig A Smith ◽  
Steven D Hollon ◽  
Lynn S Walker

Abstract Objective Stigma is associated with many health conditions, including chronic pain. Research on health-related stigma is limited by the lack of validated instruments that distinguish among various stigma-related constructs. We aimed to develop and validate such a measure for pediatric functional abdominal pain (FAP). Felt stigma (FS) was defined as comprising both perceived and internalized stigma. Stigma concealment (SC) was defined as efforts by stigmatized individuals to prevent others from learning of their condition. Methods Using a theory-driven approach, we adapted items from existing self-report measures of stigma to construct the health-related FS and Concealment Questionnaire (FSC-Q). Patients with FAP (N = 179, ages 11–17) completed the preliminary FSC-Q and health-related measures hypothesized to be associated with stigma. Cognitive interviewing and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) informed the final version of the measure. Results EFA identified a 2-factor model comprised of FS and SC. The FS and SC scales exhibited good internal consistency and construct validity. Consistent with study hypotheses, both factors were significantly associated with anxiety, depression, pain catastrophizing, pain threat, physical symptoms, and pain interference/disability. Higher FS was associated with higher mental healthcare utilization. The subset of participants meeting criteria for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) reported higher FS and SC compared with those without IBS. Conclusion The FSC-Q may help advance research on health-related stigma in FAP and other chronic health conditions by allowing for assessment of distinct stigma-related constructs.


2019 ◽  
Vol 281 ◽  
pp. 112581 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariangela Lanfredi ◽  
Ambra Macis ◽  
Clarissa Ferrari ◽  
Luciana Rillosi ◽  
Elena Cadone Ughi ◽  
...  

2016 ◽  
Vol 71 (3) ◽  
pp. 170-179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shinsuke Koike ◽  
Sosei Yamaguchi ◽  
Kazusa Ohta ◽  
Yasutaka Ojio ◽  
Kei-ichiro Watanabe ◽  
...  

2010 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 72-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Clement ◽  
Manuela Jarrett ◽  
Claire Henderson ◽  
Graham Thornicroft

Aim-To develop and measure consensus about which type of message should be included in population-level campaigns to reduce mental health-related stigma.Methods- A panel of 32 experts attending an international conference on mental health stigma participated in a consensus development exercise. A modified nominal group technique was used incorporating two voting rounds, an overview of research evidence and group discussion.Results- There was high consensus (≥ 80°) regarding the inclusion of two of the message types presented - (i)recovery-orientedand (ii)see the personmessages, and reasonable consensus (≥ 70°) regarding (iii)social inclusion / human rightsand (iv)high prevalence of mental disordersmessages. Ratings differed according to whether the participant was a psychiatrist or had personal experience of mental ill health. Analysis of the qualitative data revealed four themes: (i) benefits of messages countering the ‘otherness’ of people with mental ill health; (ii) problematic nature of messages referring to aetiology; (iii) message impact being dependent on the particular audience; (iv) need for specific packages of messages.Conclusions- This study supports the use ofrecovery-orientedmessages andsee the personmessages.Social inclusion / human rightsmessages andhigh prevalence of mental disordersmessages also merit consideration.Declaration of Interest: This study was funded through a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Applied Programme grant awarded to the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, and in relation to the NIHR Specialist Mental Health Biomedical Research Centre at the Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London and the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. The views and opinions expressed herein are the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the funding bodies. GT has received an unrestricted educational grant from Lundbeck and commissions from the Commonwealth of Australia for a review of their mental health plan. GT and CH lead the independent evaluation team for the UK ‘Time to Change: Let's end mental health discrimination now’ programme. GT has been a member of the independent evaluation team for Scotland's ‘See Me’ campaign.


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