Development and psychometric properties of a brief instrument to measure the stigma of aggressiveness in schizophrenia

Introduction. Schizophrenia has been an object of stigmatization throughout history. A critical component of stigma in schizophrenia is the perception that patients are extremely dangerous. Assessment of this concept in the general population by the use of reliable and valid instruments will allow the development of programs aimed to reduce it. Objective. To develop an assessment instrument of the public concept of aggressiveness in schizophrenia and to determine its reliability and validity in a community sample of Mexico City. Method. A total of 258 subjects completed the Public Conception of Aggressiveness Questionnaire (CAQ) which is made up of a brief clinical vignette and specific questions that assess subjective ideas about aggressiveness and mental disorders in patients with schizophrenia. Results. More than 40.0% of the sample considered that the patient with schizophrenia is aggressive and dangerous. The CAQ had an adequate internal consistency (alpha=0.74). The results of the factorial analysis showed that two factors explained 61.0% of the variance. Discussion. The items of CAQ showed two major areas that evaluate: a) perception of presentation of aggressive behaviors and b) mental illness recognition and social aspects of the stigma of dangerousness. The CAQ is an instrument with adequate psychometric properties that could be useful to evaluate the perception of aggressiveness in schizophrenia among the general population.