+Stigma Scale
Vogel, Wade, & Ascheman (2009)
Topic: Mental and Physical Health - Stigma/Mental Health Stigma
Description of Measure:
Twenty-one items were created to reflect how the stigma associated with seeking treatment might be reflected in the social reactions of others. The items were developed by David L. Vogel and Nathaniel G. Wade, who have conducted research in the help-seeking and stigma area for more than 5 years and who are also licensed counseling psychologists who have worked with clients on issues of stigmatization and fears of how others view them for seeking psychological help.
Instructions:
Read the following statement, and then respond to each item with a 5-point scale ranging from 1 (not at all) to 5 (a great deal).
Response options:
1 (not at all) to 5 (a great deal).
Items:
“Imagine you had a problem that needed to be treated by a mental health professional. If you sought mental health services, to what degree do you believe that the people you interact with would _____.”
- Think of you in a less favorable way.
- Think bad things of you.
- React negatively to you.
- See you as seriously disturbed.
- Think you posed a risk to others.
- Think you were crazy.
- Be scared of you.
- See you as weak.
- Like you less.
- Say something negative about you to others.
- Be ashamed of you.
- Treat you like a child.
- See you as less attractive.
- Believe you were unpredictable.
- Think it was your fault.
- Deny you access to a job.
- Believe you were more violent and dangerous.
- Be angry with you.
- Be uncomfortable around you.
- Treat you differently.
- Believe that you could not handle things on your own.
Citation:
Vogel, D. L., Wade, N. G., & Ascheman, P. L. (2009). Measuring perceptions of stigmatization by others for seeking psychological help: Reliability and validity of a new stigma scale with college students. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 56, 301–308. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0014903 Links to an external site..