Validation of the Adapted Version of the Larson & Chastain Self-Concealment Scale in Chilean University Students

Abstract

Self-concealment is associated with negative health indicators and lower levels of seeking psychological help, however, in Chile there are no scales that measure this construct reliably. In the present study the adapted version of Self-Concealment Scale was validated in university students. The scale was translated and adapted through a committee approach. Subsequently, expert judges evaluated its content validity. Then, the psychometric properties of the scale were evaluated in a sample of 350 university students from La Araucanía region, Chile. A unidimensional structure was confirmed, consisting of eight items, which shows partial scalar invariance between men and women, good internal consistency (ω=.85), and that converged in the expected direction and significantly with symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress, and intention to seek psychological help. This instrument represents a contribution in the detection of risk groups that are less likely to seek help for mental health problems.