Stigma on Mental Health among High School Students: Validation of the Italian Version of the Attribution Questionnaire-27 (AQ-27-I) in a High School Student Population.

Cinzia Bressi,Silvia Ferrari,Elisa Busnelli,Gian Maria Galeazzi,Sara Pozzoli,Anna Oliva,Luca Pingani,Giorgio Mattei

doi:10.3390/ijerph17145207

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to describe the psychometric characteristics of the AQ-27-I in a high school student population. Students aged between 17 and 20 years and attending the fourth and fifth year of a scientific high school in Milan were approached at the school and were asked to fill in an anonymous socio-demographic form and the AQ-27-I. Cronbach’s alpha was used to estimate the instrument reliability and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted and compared to the original English version factor structure. The AQ-27-I demonstrated acceptable internal consistency, with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.87 and only one subscale (Personal responsibility) with an alpha lower than 0.60. Fit indices were very positive for the Dangerousness Model supporting the factor structure and paths of the original version. The Personal Responsibility Model, on the other hand, showed some weakness, concerning the process dynamics of the model. The results obtained are similar with those from other studies carried out in Italy and other countries. The questionnaire can be used for the quantitative description of stereotypes, emotions and behaviors associated with stigma in mental health in high school student populations.

Highlights

According to Goffman’s social theory, stigma is defined as a mark that reduces an individual “from a whole and usual person to a tainted, discounted one” [1]
Crocker et al describe stigmatization as a phenomenon consisting in a negative connotation associated to a person or group that is supposed to possess “some attribute or characteristic that conveys a social identity that is devalued in a particular social context” [2]
The aim of this study was to describe the psychometric characteristics of the Attribution Questionnaire 27 (AQ-27)-I in a student population of the last two years of a scientific high school in Milan

Summary

Introduction

According to Goffman’s social theory, stigma is defined as a mark that reduces an individual “from a whole and usual person to a tainted, discounted one” [1]. Crocker et al describe stigmatization as a phenomenon consisting in a negative connotation associated to a person or group that is supposed to possess “some attribute or characteristic that conveys a social identity that is devalued in a particular social context” [2]. Many people with mental disorders, including schizophrenia [3,4], experience stigma resulting from others’ lack of knowledge (stereotypes, ignorance or misinformation), attitudes (prejudice), or behavior (discrimination) [5,6,7,8,9]. The experience of stigma can lead to social. Public Health 2020, 17, 5207; doi:10.3390/ijerph17145207 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph

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