Further Psychometric Evaluation of the SelfStigma Scale-Short: Measurement Invariance across Mental Illness and Gender

Background This study cross-validated the factor structure of the Self-Stigma Scale-Short (SSS-S) in a cohort of patients with mental illness in southern Taiwan. The measurement invariance of the SSS-S factor structure across mental illness and gender was also examined. Methods The sample consisted of 161 patients with schizophrenia (51.6% males; mean age +/- SD = 40.53 +/- 10.38 years) and 189 patients with other mental illnesses (34.9% males; mean age = 46.52 +/- 11.29 years). Results The internal reliability (total score: alpha = 0.948) and concurrent validity (r = 0.335 to 0.457 with Depression and Somatic Symptoms Scale; r = -0.447 to -0.556 with WHOQOL-BREF) of the SSS-S were both satisfactory, and the results verified that the factor structure in our Taiwan sample (RMSEA = 0.0796, CFA = 0.992) was the same as that of the Hong Kong population. In addition, the results supported the measurement invariance of the SSS-S across mental illness (Delta RMSEAs = -0.0082 to -0.0037,Delta CFAs = 0.000) and gender (Delta RMSEAs = -0.0054 to -0.0008,Delta CFAs = -0.001 to 0.000). Conclusion Future studies can use the SSS-S to compare self-stigma between genders and between patients with different kinds of mental illnesses.