Document Type
Article
Publication Date
7-6-2014
Description
The purpose of our research was to examine the validity of score interpretations of an instrument developed to measure parents’ perceptions of stigma about seeking mental health services for their children. The validity of the score interpretations of the instrument was tested in 2 studies. Study 1 employed confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), using a split half approach, and construct and criterion validity on data from the entire sample of parents in rural Appalachia whose children were experiencing psychosocial concerns (N = 347), while Study 2 employed CFA, construct and criterion validity, and predictive validity of the scores on data from a general sample of parents in rural Appalachia (N = 184). Results of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed support for a 2-factor model of parents’ perceived stigma, which represented both self and public forms of stigma associated with seeking mental health services for their children, and correlated with existing measures of stigma and other psychosocial variables. Further, the new self and public stigma scale significantly predicted parents’ willingness to seek services for children.
Citation Information
William, Stacey L.; and Polaha, Jodi. 2014. Rural Parents’ Perceived Stigma of Seeking Mental Health Services for Their Children: Development and Evaluation of a New Instrument. Psychological Assessment. Vol.26(3). 763-773. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0036571 ISSN: 1040-3590
Copyright Statement
This document is an author manuscript from PMC. The publisher's final edited version of this article is available at Ear and Hearing.