Abstract
BACKGROUND: The Affiliate Stigma Scale (ASS) is a widely used tool to measure affiliate stigma in the caregivers of individuals with various types of mental illnesses. However, the Hindi adaptation of this scale with evident psychometric properties is not available. This study aimed to adapt the ASS in the Hindi language and, further, to validate it in the Indian setting. METHODS: Translation and back-translation methods were used to translate the original items of the ASS to the Hindi language. After completion of translations and linguistic adaptation process, the Hindi translated version of the ASS, WHO Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF), General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were administered to 140 caregivers of persons with mental illness. Purposive sampling method was adopted. The age range of the participants was 17-60 years. Psychometric properties, as well as the factor structures of the scale, were evaluated. RESULTS: The Hindi version of the ASS has adequate internal consistencies (r = 0.87-0.93) and test-retest reliability (r = 0.78, P < 0.001). The concurrent validity of this scale was also high, as the correlation coefficients among the Hindi version of the ASS, WHOQOL-BREF, GHQ-12, and HADS were ranging from 0.23 to 0.35. The exploratory factor analysis revealed three underlying factors, namely, cognition, affect, and behavior. CONCLUSIONS: The Hindi version of the ASS is a reliable and valid psychometric tool to measure affiliate stigma in caregivers of patients with mental illness.