Cross-cultural validity of the Self-Stigma of Seeking Help (SSOSH) scale: examination across six nations

J Couns Psychol. 2013 Apr;60(2):303-310. doi: 10.1037/a0032055. Epub 2013 Mar 4.

Abstract

Researchers have found that the stigma associated with seeking therapy--particularly self-stigma--can inhibit the use of psychological services. Yet, most of the research on self-stigma has been conducted in the United States. This is a considerable limitation, as the role of self-stigma in the help-seeking process may vary across cultural groups. However, to examine cross-cultural variations, researchers must first develop culturally valid scales. Therefore, this study examined scale validity and reliability of the widely used Self-Stigma of Seeking Help scale (SSOSH; Vogel, Wade, & Haake, 2006) across samples from 6 different countries (England, Greece, Israel, Taiwan, Turkey, and the United States). Specifically, we used a confirmatory factor analysis framework to conduct measurement invariance analysis and latent mean comparisons of the SSOSH across the 6 sampled countries. Overall, the results suggested that the SSOSH has a similar univariate structure across countries and is sufficiently invariant across countries to be used to explore cultural differences in the way that self-stigma relates to help-seeking behavior.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Validation Study

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Counseling*
  • Cross-Cultural Comparison*
  • Cultural Characteristics
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Patient Acceptance of Health Care / psychology*
  • Psychometrics / statistics & numerical data
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Self Concept*
  • Social Stigma*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires*
  • Young Adult