Citation

Chen S, Ma Y, Cai W, Moretta T, Wang X, Liu T, Potenza MN. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2019; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA; Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, CT, USA; Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling, Wethersfield, CT, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA; Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2019.107677

PMID

31732296

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Despite the large number of individuals who use substances of abuse and the stigma of such behaviors in China, scales have not been developed and validated for assessing substance-use stigma. Given its importance for targeting interventions, the aim of the present study was to validate a Chinese substance-use stigma measure including three dimensions of substance-use-disorder-related stigma (personal stigma, perceived stigma and social distance) by modifying a pre-existing scale measuring mental illness-related stigma and social distance.

METHODS: A convenience sample of eight-hundred-and-twelve individuals with substance abuse (aged 18-68 years) from different drug rehabilitation centers completed a self-reported survey including their demographics and drug use, and the stigma and social distance scales. The adapted, translated from English to Chinese, and back-translated scales were an 18-items stigma scale including personal stigma and perceived stigma subscales and a 5-items one domain social distance scale. Confirmatory factor analysis and multigroup confirmatory factor analysis tested factorial validity and measurement invariance of the scales, respectively.

RESULTS: For the stigma scale, by deleting one low correlation dimension (named "weak-not-sick"), personal stigma and perceived stigma showed acceptable fit indices and internal consistency with two dimensions (named "dangerous/unpredictable" and "social discrimination"), separately. The social distance scale showed good fit indices and internal consistency as a separate facet of stigma-related substance-use problems. Invariance of the model across drug-rehabilitation centers was found.

CONCLUSIONS: The Chinese substance-use stigma scale may serve as a valuable tool for better understanding substance-use stigma among adults in China who abuse substances.

Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

China; Factorial validation; Stigma; Substance use