What the study found
The Chinese version of the Persistent Somatic Symptom Stigma Scale for Healthcare Professionals (a questionnaire for measuring stigma toward patients with persistent somatic symptoms, or long-lasting bodily symptoms without a clear cause) was found to have satisfactory reliability and validity. It contains 13 items in three dimensions: othering, uneasiness in interaction, and non-disclosure.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors conclude that this tool can be used to assess healthcare professionals’ stigma toward patients with persistent somatic symptoms in China. They also say it provides a measurement basis for developing interventions to reduce stigma, improve clinical attitudes, and inform policy-making in persistent somatic symptom management.
What the researchers tested
The researchers translated and cross-culturally adapted the original scale into Chinese using Brislin’s translation model, including forward translation, back-translation, expert review, and pretesting. They then tested the Chinese version in 282 healthcare professionals recruited from March to April 2025; 30 of them completed a retest after two weeks.
What worked and what didn't
Content validity was strong, with item-level content validity index values from 0.80 to 1.00 and a scale-level content validity index of 0.946. Exploratory factor analysis identified three factors explaining 66.692% of the total variance, with factor loadings between 0.743 and 0.885. Reliability was also acceptable to strong, with overall Cronbach’s alpha of 0.867, split-half reliability of 0.798, and test-retest reliability of 0.897.
What to keep in mind
The study used a convenience sample from one testing period, so the abstract does not describe broader population testing. No other limitations are described in the available summary.
Key points
- The Chinese scale has 13 items across three dimensions: othering, uneasiness in interaction, and non-disclosure.
- Content validity scores were high, with a scale-level CVI of 0.946.
- Exploratory factor analysis supported three factors explaining 66.692% of the total variance.
- Reliability measures were acceptable to strong, including test-retest reliability of 0.897.
- The authors say the scale can support stigma assessment and intervention development in China.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Chinese stigma scale for persistent somatic symptoms shows good reliability
- Authors:
- Fengjuan Zhao, Qing Yang, Yanfei Sun, Meng Zhao, Haiyang Song, Jiejie Ge, Sijing Peng
- Institutions:
- Anhui University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Anhui University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Anhui University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing General Hospital of Nanjing Military Command, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing University, Shandong University, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Wuhan Sixth Hospital
- Publication date:
- 2026-02-25
- OpenAlex record:
- View
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