Psychometric Properties of the Persian Version of Social Distance and Dangerousness Scales to Investigate Stigma Due to Severe Mental Illness in Iran

The aim of the present study was to assess the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Social Distance and Dangerousness scales used for studying stigma of severe mental illnesses.
In a cross sectional study, Social Distance and Dangerousness scales were administered to 200 mental health workers of Razi Psychiatry Hospital who were selected through random sampling procedure. The reliability of the scales was assessed through internal consistency and test-retest procedures. The content and construct validity were also assessed.
Cronbach’s alpha for the Social Distance and Dangerousness scales were 0.92 and 0.96, respectively. Test-retest reliability coefficients for the two scales were 0.89 and 0.88, respectively. The content validity coefficients of the scales were 0.75 and 0.77. Factor analysis of each scale yielded one factor. The social rejection factor accounted for 76% of the Social Distance scale and the dangerousness factor accounted for 74% of the Dangerousness scale.
The results indicate that the Persian version of the Social Distance and Dangerousness scales have satisfactory psychometric properties and can be used to measure the stigma of severe mental illness in Iran.