Evaluation of the psychometrics of the Social Impact Scale and its association with depression among asymptomatic COVID-19 carriers

Abstract

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 carriers experience psychological stresses and mental health issues such as varying degrees of stigma. The Social Impact Scale (SIS) can be used to measure the stigmatisation of COVID-19 carriers who experience such problems. AIMS: To evaluate the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the SIS, and the association between stigma and depression among asymptomatic COVID-19 carriers in Shanghai, China. METHOD: A total of 1283 asymptomatic COVID-19 carriers from Shanghai Ruijin Jiahe Fangcang Shelter Hospital were recruited, with a mean age of 39.64 ± 11.14 years (59.6% male). Participants completed questionnaires, including baseline information and psychological measurements, the SIS and Self-Rating Depression Scale. The psychometrics of the SIS and its association with depression were examined through exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and receiver operating characteristic analysis. RESULTS: The average participant SIS score was 42.66 ± 14.61 (range: 24-96) years. Analyses suggested the model had four factors: social rejection, financial insecurity, internalised shame and social isolation. The model fit statistics of the four-factor SIS were 0.913 for the comparative fit index, 0.902 for the Tucker-Lewis index and 0.088 for root-mean-square error of approximation. Standard estimated factor loadings ranged from 0.509 to 0.836. After controlling for demographic characteristics, the total score of the 23-item SIS predicted depression (odds ratio: 1.087, 95% CI 1.061-1.115; area under the curve: 0.84, 95% CI 0.788-0.892). CONCLUSIONS: The Chinese version of the SIS showed good psychometric properties and can be used to assess the level of perceived stigma experienced by asymptomatic COVID-19 carriers.