title: Further psychometric evaluation of the self-stigma scale-short: measurement invariance across mental illness and gender.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study cross-validated the factor structure of the Self-Stigma Scale-Short (SSS-S) in a cohort of patients with mental illness in southern Taiwan. The measurement invariance of the SSS-S factor structure across mental illness and gender was also examined.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample consisted of 161 patients with schizophrenia (51.6% males; mean age ± SD = 40.53 ± 10.38 years) and 189 patients with other mental illnesses (34.9% males; mean age = 46.52 ± 11.29 years).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The internal reliability (total score: α = 0.948) and concurrent validity (r = 0.335 to 0.457 with Depression and Somatic Symptoms Scale; r = -0.447 to -0.556 with WHOQOL-BREF) of the SSS-S were both satisfactory, and the results verified that the factor structure in our Taiwan sample (RMSEA = 0.0796, CFA = 0.992) was the same as that of the Hong Kong population. In addition, the results supported the measurement invariance of the SSS-S across mental illness (ΔRMSEAs = -0.0082 to -0.0037, ΔCFAs = 0.000) and gender (ΔRMSEAs = -0.0054 to -0.0008, ΔCFAs = -0.001 to 0.000).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Future studies can use the SSS-S to compare self-stigma between genders and between patients with different kinds of mental illnesses.
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Chi Mei Medical Center, Liouying, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors: Tsung-Hsien
authors: TH
authors: Wu
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan; Health Service and Population Research Department, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; Department of Senior Citizen Service Management, College of Recreation and Health Management, Chia Nan University of Pharmacy and Science, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors: Chih-Cheng
authors: CC
authors: Chang
authors: Department of Senior Citizen Service Management, College of Recreation and Health Management, Chia Nan University of Pharmacy and Science, Tainan, Taiwan; Department of Nursing, College of Health Sciences, Chang Jung Christian University, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors: Chih-Yin
authors: CY
authors: Chen
authors: Department of Public Health, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan; Department of Internal Medicine and Occupational Environmental Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors: Jung-Der
authors: JD
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Public Health, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors: Chung-Ying
authors: CY
authors: Lin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011594:Psychometrics; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology