Russian adaptation of the internalized stigma of the mental state (self-stigmatization) scale ISMI-9

Abstract

Aim . The research objective was to provide a Russian adaptation of the ISMI-9. Methods . The study included 103 patients: with brain injuries (n=30); endogenous affective disorders (n=30); with mental disorders of neurotic level (n=43). After a preliminary clinical interview the patients were to complete the questionnaires: to assess their level of self-stigmatization (ISMI-9), gelotophobia (the fear of being laughed at) (PhoPhiKat-30), the predominant type of the attitude to the disease (TOBOL). Results . The Russian version of the ISMI-9 revealed good psychometric properties in terms of reliability of the scale, unifactorial structure and correlations of all the items with the scale. Associations of self-stigmatization with the types of attitudes to the diseases and gelotophobia (the fear of being laughed at), revealed in the study, confirmed validity of the scale. Thus, in the group of patients with brain injuries, it was positively associated with hypochondriac type of attitude to the disease, paranoid, neurasthenic, melancholic, apathetic and sensitive, and it was negatively associated with anosognosic type of attitude to the disease. In the group of patients with endogenous affective disorders, self-stigmatization correlated positively with hypochondriac, neurasthenic, egocentric, paranoid, dysphoric types of attitude to the disease, as well as with gelotophobia. In the group of patients with mental disorders of neurotic level, self-stigmatization was positively associated with anxious, neurasthenic, melancholic, apathetic, sensitive, dysphoric types of attitude to the disease, and it was negatively associated with anosognosic type. There was also a positive correlation with gelotophobia. Conclusions . The results of the study testify in favor of good psychometric properties of the Russian version of the Internalized Stigma of Mental State scale, its reliability and validity. The questionnaire may be recommended for use in scientific research, as well as in practice of psychodiagnostics and psychological counseling.