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. 2010 Nov 25;19(4):243–254. doi: 10.1002/mpr.325

The Self‐Stigma of Depression Scale (SSDS): development and psychometric evaluation of a new instrument

Lisa J Barney 1,✉, Kathleen M Griffiths 1, Helen Christensen 1, Anthony F Jorm 2
PMCID: PMC6878480  PMID: 20683846

Abstract

Self‐stigma may feature strongly and be detrimental for people with depression, but the understanding of its nature and prevalence is limited by the lack of psychometrically‐validated measures. This study aimed to develop and validate a measure of self‐stigma about depression. Items assessing self‐stigma were developed from focus group discussions, and were tested and refined over three studies using surveys of 408 university students, 330 members of a depression Internet network, and 1312 members of the general Australian public. Evaluation involved item‐level and bivariate analyses, and factor analytic procedures. Items performed consistently across the three surveys. The resulting Self‐Stigma of Depression Scale (SSDS) comprised 16 items representing subscales of Shame, Self‐Blame, Social Inadequacy, and Help‐Seeking Inhibition. Construct validity, internal consistency and test–retest reliability were satisfactory. The SSDS distinguishes self‐stigma from perceptions of stigma by others, yields in‐depth information about self‐stigma of depression, and possesses good psychometric properties. It is a promising tool for the measurement of self‐stigma and is likely to be useful in further understanding self‐stigma and evaluating stigma interventions.Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Keywords: stigma, depression, scale development, beliefs, interventions

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Acknowledgements

During the preparation of this article Dr Barney was supported by an Australian Government Australian Postgraduate Award; the Centre for Mental Health Research (CMHR), The Australian National University; and the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Capacity Building Grant No. 418020, Professor Griffiths was supported by NHMRC Fellowship No. 525413, Professor Christensen by NHMRC Fellowship No. 525411, and Professor Jorm by NHMRC Fellowship No. 400001.

The authors thank participants for their contribution.

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