Depression Stigma Scale Demonstrates Reliability in Kazakh and Russian Validation Study

Adapted Kazakh and Russian versions of the personal stigma subscale of the Depression Stigma Scale demonstrated acceptable internal consistency and preliminary evidence of factorial validity in a cross-sectional validation study conducted among 1,000 adults in Kazakhstan. The research, conducted by Lazzat Zhamaliyeva, Assemgul Batyrova, and colleagues from West Kazakhstan Marat Ospanov State Medical University, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, and Sechenov Moscow State Medical University, evaluated the psychometric properties of the instrument across two major linguistic groups.

The study addressed stigma as a major barrier to help-seeking, social inclusion, and equitable access to mental health care for individuals experiencing depression. According to the authors, the availability of culturally appropriate measurement tools is essential for monitoring public attitudes, evaluating anti-stigma interventions, and supporting community-based mental health policies. The authors aimed to translate, culturally adapt, and evaluate the personal stigma subscale specifically for Kazakh-speaking and Russian-speaking populations.

The study enrolled 1,000 adult participants in Kazakhstan, consisting of 500 Russian-speaking and 500 Kazakh-speaking individuals. The adaptation process employed a forward-backward translation procedure. To evaluate construct validity and internal consistency, the researchers conducted exploratory factor analysis and calculated Cronbach’s alpha alongside McDonald’s omega reliability coefficients.

Following exploratory factor analysis and the removal of items with insufficient factor loadings, the analysis supported a predominantly unidimensional factor structure in both language versions. The final Russian version retained eight items, yielding a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.71 and a McDonald’s omega of 0.71. The final Kazakh version retained seven items, demonstrating a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.78 and a McDonald’s omega of 0.78. These differences in item retention reflect findings from prior international validation studies that noted cultural variation in the factor structure of the Depression Stigma Scale.

The authors concluded that the adapted Russian and Kazakh versions provide reliable and culturally appropriate instruments for measuring personal depression stigma. Beyond psychometric validation, the authors noted that the scales may facilitate monitoring public attitudes toward depression, evaluating anti-stigma programmes, and informing evidence-based community mental health policies in Kazakhstan and other multilingual settings.

Subject of Research: Psychometric validation of the Depression Stigma Scale in Kazakh and Russian

Article Title: Psychometric validation of the Depression Stigmatization Scale in Kazakh- and Russian-speaking populations

Article References: Zhamaliyeva, L., Batyrova, A., Ablakimova, N., Veklenko, G., Kudaibergenova, S., & Grjibovski, A. M. (2026). Psychometric validation of the Depression Stigmatization Scale in Kazakh- and Russian-speaking populations. Frontiers in Public Health, 14, Article 1955488. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1955488

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1955488

Keywords: Depression Stigma Scale, personal stigma, psychometric validation, Kazakhstan, mental health, internal consistency, factor analysis, cross-sectional study, Psychometric, validation, Depression, Stigmatization