Social stigma in dementia: Italian validation of the Dementia Public Stigma Scale (DEPSS)

Introduction. Dementia-related stigma is a significant barrier to supporting people with dementia and promoting their social inclusion. The Dementia Public Stigma Scale (DePSS) measures all the dimensions of dementia-related public stigma: fear and discomfort, inability and loss, personality recognition, burden and exclusion. Aim. To validate the DePSS in Italian and measure dementia-related public stigma. Method. The DePSS has 16 items rated on a Likert scale 1-7 (1=strongly disagree; 7=strongly agree). The average score for the overall scale and for each of its five factors ranges from 1 to 7, higher scores indicate higher stigma. The original English tool was translated and culturally adapted and psychometric validation was performed. The scale was then tested on 1,329 people (aged 14-93 years). Results. The Italian version of the DePSS confirmed the original five-factor structure and was a clear, valid and reliable tool for measuring dementia-related stigma. The median overall score was 3.6 (IQR 3.1-4.0) that indicates moderate stigma. The highest levels of stigma emerged in the factor inability and loss (median 4.8, IQR 4.2-5.4) and burden (median 4.0, IQR 2.5-5.0). Living with a person with dementia was not apparently associated with the overall stigma level (p=0.406) nor with any of its dimensions. Conclusions. The Italian DePSS version will be able to shape healthcare strategies and educational and awareness initiatives.