A personal but shared burden

Developing a multiple-group internalized stigma scale (MGISS)

Datos Bibliográficos

ID12603859
AutoresDiego Castro (0009-0005-3908-0006, University College London, London, UK), Pranjal H Mehta (0000-0001-7570-7404, University College London, London, UK), D M Frost (0000-0001-9284-5219, University College London, London, UK)
Año2025
Volumen28
Número5
Páginas953-976
Fecha de publicación2025-02-13
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaGroup Processes & Intergroup Relations (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 1368-4302 • E-ISSN: 1461-7188
EditorialSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/13684302241312674
OpenAlexW4407511157
IdiomaEN
Referencias citadas47

Individuals from different marginalized groups can internalize negative social beliefs about themselves and their groups. However, a scale that allows for direct comparisons of internalized stigma across multiple groups has not yet been developed. This paper presents the development and validation of the Multiple-Group Internalized Stigma Scale (MGISS). Participants were recruited from four stigmatized groups representing the possible combinations of the stigma characteristics of mutability and concealability (i.e., Black or Indigenous, lesbian, gay or bisexual, higher body-weight, and working-class people). Study 1 developed the scale across the four groups and in English- and Spanish-speaking countries (i.e., the UK and Chile, N = 238). Study 2 replicated the results with a larger sample of emerging adults in Chile ( N = 729). The MGISS demonstrated good levels of reliability and validity, with two factors: self-focused and group-focused. Levels of internalized stigma were higher among groups with mutable characteristics and were associated with higher levels of felt stigma and psychological distress. The MGISS provides a valuable tool for research on prejudice and stigma, particularly in studies involving multiple marginalized groups

Developmental psychology · Group (periodic table · Psychiatry · Scale (ratio · Stigma (botany · Clinical Psychology · Employment and Welfare Studies · Family Support in Illness · Mental Health Treatment and Access · Psychology · Social Psychology