although not necessarily in ME and CFS. There have been only a handful
of studies over the years regarding the stigma experienced by ME and
CFS patients and the effects. This is a thesis that has not gone
through the peer review process, but it has the potential help inform
the process.
Development of the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Myalgic
Encephalomyelitis Stigma (CFSMES) Scale
by Jantke, Rachel L., M.A., ROOSEVELT UNIVERSITY, 2011, 66 pages; 1497816
Abstract:
The purpose of the present study was to create a scale that measures
stigma toward individuals with CFS, the Chronic Fatigue Stigma and
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Stigma (CFSMES) Scale, and to assess the
scale's reliability and validity.
A total of 138 participants voluntarily participated in this study.
The formation of the scale items was guided by the six dimensions of
stigma identified by Jones et al. (1984). This scale captures the
prominent qualities of CFS and people's attitudes towards individuals
with CFS.
Principle axis factoring was the extraction method used to identify
and compute composite scores for the factors underlying the CFSMES
scale. Factor analysis was used to investigate whether the attitudes
measured by the CFSMES scale are multidimensional as developed and to
identify which individual CFSMES scale items measured the same
dimensions. The varimax rotation produced five factors, each of which
met the criteria above.
The results showed that the CFSMES scale has 5 factors: Negative
Perception (8 items), Concealability (5 items), Relationship (4
items), Treatment (4 items), and Course (3 items). The creation of the
CFSMES scale is beneficial in that it can lead to a better
understanding of whether stigma in CFS is similar to stigma
experienced in other types of illness.
http://gradworks.umi.com/14/97/1497816.html
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