Description

The Affiliate Stigma Scale (ASS-22) was developed by Mak and Cheung (2008) to assess stigma experienced by family members or caregivers of individuals with mental illness or intellectual disability. It examines how public stigma may become internalized and affect relatives’ emotions, beliefs, and behaviors.

Structure

The scale consists of 22 items and covers three main dimensions:

Affective stigma, referring to feelings such as shame, distress, embarrassment, or emotional pressure.

Cognitive stigma, assessing beliefs about discrimination, social devaluation, and negative judgments from others.

Behavioral stigma, referring to social withdrawal, concealment, reduced participation in activities, and avoidance of social contact.

Scoring

Items are rated on a 4-point Likert scale:

1 = Strongly disagree
2 = Disagree
3 = Agree
4 = Strongly agree

Higher scores indicate greater levels of affiliate or internalized stigma.

Applications

The ASS-22 is commonly used in mental health, caregiving, disability, and stigma research. It can help identify families experiencing increased psychosocial burden and support the development of interventions aimed at reducing stigma, social isolation, and emotional distress.

Reference

Mak, W. W. S., & Cheung, R. Y. M. (2008). Affiliate stigma among caregivers of people with intellectual disability or mental illness. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 21(6), 532–545.