The German Version of the Inventory of Stigmatising Experiences (ISE) - A New Tool for Assessing the Prevalence and Impact of Felt Stigma

Objectives Stigma research has been criticized for excluding the views of those exposed to stigmatising reactions. While this changed with the advent of qualitative research into stigma, population-based data on the prevalence, severity and consequences of stigma experiences are lacking. The present Study aims at field-testing the German version of the Inventory of Stigmatising Experiences (ISE) [1]. Methods The ISE is a semi-structured questionnaire composed of two scales: one measuring the scope of stigma experienced in different life domains (SES; 9 items), the other assessing their psychosocial impact (SIS; 7 items). The instrument was translated into German, using the three-step procedure proposed by WHO (translation, back-translation, feasibility testing). Field-testing of the German version was carried out on 95 service users. Results The German version of the ISE shows good reliabilities for both the stigma experiences (SES; alpha=0.74) and stigma impact (SIS; alpha=0.86) scales. 54.4% of service users report stigma experiences across the SES; 72% of these are recent and thus Susceptible for interventions. Conclusions The German version of the ISE is a compact and reliable tool for measuring the prevalence and impact of felt stigma, with potential uses in both population-based stigma research and clinical practice.