Analyzes mental health stigma in young people, indicating gender differences in stigma levels.
BACKGROUND: Mental health (MH) stigma is one of the main barriers to young people with MH problems seeking help. This study attempts to analyse it using the Stigma and Self-Stigma scales (SASS) in a representative sample of young people, novel aspects being the comprehensive perspective of the instrument used and the analysis of gender effects, both from a psychometric perspective (measurement invariance) and analysis of the differences according to the gender variable. METHOD: = 1.65; 61.6% women) participated, selected through a stratified random cluster sampling approach. The scale's internal structure and its measurement invariance between genders were examined. RESULTS: The five-factor model of the SASS showed adequate goodness-of-fit indices. Scalar invariance between genders was confirmed for the five-dimensional model, along with higher levels of stigma in several dimensions among boys. Cronbach's α for the different subscales ranged from .62 to .80, and McDonald's ω from .60 to .79. CONCLUSIONS: The SASS is a brief, simple, and reliable instrument for assessing different dimensions of MH stigma in university settings.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Ciulin et al. (2026) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: