Psychometric Properties of the Iranian Version of STIG – 9 Questionnaire in People With Mental Disorders

Objective: The stigma of mental disorders is a common phenomenon, that barricades seeking medical help. Stigma includes a negative attitude toward a person that occurs due to a distinctive feature, such as race, sexual orientation, or mental disorder. Regarding the negative consequences of the stigma in the course of the disorder and the life of people with mental illness, the aim of this study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the Iranian version of the stigma-9 questionnaire (STIG-9) in people with mental disorders. Methods: The statistical population included all military personnel with mental disorders hospitalized in the 505 psychiatric hospitals from October 2020 to January 2021. By convenience sampling method, 95 patients were selected. For data analysis, descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS software, version 26, and for factor analysis, R 3.6.3 and R package lavaan 0.7 were used.   Results: The face validity was evaluated quantitatively using impact score and the content validity was evaluated quantitatively using content validity ratio (CVR) and content validity index (CVI) based on the opinion of 15 experts. All items were validated in terms of face and content validity. To evaluate the internal consistency, Cronbach’s α coefficient was calculated (α=0.86). Factor analysis was used to evaluate the construct validity. The results of factor analysis showed that the questionnaire had three factors. Conclusion: The STIG-9 questionnaire is an appropriate instrument to evaluate perceived stigma in people with mental disorders in Iranian society.