Psychometric properties of the Depression Stigma Scale in the Portuguese population and its association with gender and depressive symptomatology

BACKGROUND: Stigma is one of the most significant constraints on people living with depression. There is a lack of validated scales in Portugal to measure depression stigma; therefore, the Depression Stigma Scale (DSS) is essential to the depression stigma research in Portugal. METHODS: We developed the adaptation process with the ITC Guidelines for Translation and Adapting Tests taken into consideration. We collected the sample as part of the OSPI program—Optimizing suicide prevention programs and their implementation in Europe, specifically within the application in Portugal, and included 1693 participants. Floor-ceiling effects and response ranges were analyzed, and we calculated Cronbach alphas, and Confirmatory Analysis. Validity evidence was tested with two well-documented hypotheses, using data on gender and depression symptoms. RESULTS: The sample was well comparable with the general Portuguese population, indicating its representativeness. We identified a three-factor structure in each subscale (personal and perceived stigma): weak-not-sick, discrimination, and dangerous/unpredictable, with good model fit results. The Cronbach's alphas were satisfactory, and validity was confirmed. CONCLUSIONS: This study established the validity and demonstrated good psychometric properties of the DSS in the Portuguese population. The validation of the DSS can be beneficial in exploring stigma predictors and evaluating the effectiveness of stigma reduction interventions. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12955-022-01945-7.