A Preliminary Exploratory Factor Analysis of the BDSM Counselor Competency Scale

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Mental Health
• Sexual Health

Background:

• BDSM practitioners are a significant sexual minority group facing misunderstanding and pathologization in mental healthcare.
• Existing measures for clinician cultural competence do not specifically address the BDSM community.
• Cultural competence is crucial for effective and non-stigmatizing therapeutic services for marginalized populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To adapt an existing scale and develop a new measure assessing clinicians' self-reported competence in working with BDSM practitioners.
• To establish the psychometric properties of this new scale through exploratory factor analysis.

Main Methods:

• Adaptation of the Sexual Orientation Counselor Competency Scale (SOCCS).
• Preliminary exploratory factor analysis (principal axis factoring) on a 17-item version of the scale.
• Data collected from 124 clinicians.

Main Results:

• A 17-item BDSM Counselor Competency Scale (BDSM-CCS) was developed.
• Exploratory factor analysis identified two latent factors: attitudes and skills/knowledge.
• These factors align with the original SOCCS and cultural competency theory.

Conclusions:

• The BDSM-CCS provides a reliable tool for assessing clinician self-reported competence with BDSM practitioners.
• This scale can aid clinicians, practices, and training programs in tracking and improving cultural competence.
• Further research is needed for scale refinement and exploring clinical and training applications.