Measuring mental illness stigma with diminished social desirability effects.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Psychiatry
• Public Health

Background:

• Stigma surrounding mental illness negatively impacts employment, independent living, and healthcare engagement.
• Existing anti-stigma interventions require effective measurement tools to assess their impact.
• Social desirability bias in self-report questionnaires can distort findings on stigmatizing attitudes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and psychometrically evaluate a novel faux knowledge test (KT) designed to measure public stigma.
• To assess the KT's ability to circumvent social desirability bias in measuring stigmatizing attitudes.
• To examine the reliability and validity of the KT in diverse populations.

Main Methods:

• The study employed error-choice test methodology to create the KT, assessing prejudice.
• Content for the KT was derived from existing knowledge tests and empirical literature on stigma.
• Psychometric properties, including test-retest reliability and construct validity, were analyzed across samples of college students, community members, and mental health professionals and consumers.

Main Results:

• The KT demonstrated fair to good test-retest reliability (0.50–0.70).
• Construct validity was supported by positive correlations with the Attribution Questionnaire and inverse correlations with Self-Determination and Empowerment Scales.
• No significant associations were found with self-stigma measures, indicating specificity to public stigma.

Conclusions:

• The developed self-administered questionnaire shows promise as a valid tool for measuring public stigma.
• The KT methodology appears effective in mitigating social desirability bias in stigma assessment.
• This tool could enhance the evaluation of anti-stigma interventions.