The Psychometric Properties of the Religious Suicide Stigma Measure: A Study of Religious Congregants and Faith Leaders in the USA.

Suicide stigma is a pervasive barrier to suicide prevention efforts. Although several suicide stigma measures are available, a suicide stigma assessment tool that is specific to religious communities has yet to be created. This research was conducted to evaluate the psychometric properties of a scale that measures religiously themed suicide stigma. The sample consisted of 378 adult participants from across the USA who attend a religious community, with over 40% of the sample identifying as "faith leaders." The Religious Suicide Stigma Measure (RSSM) items were conceptualized based on statements made by congregants experiencing suicidal behaviors (CESB) and operationalized into twenty-four items. After removing items based on low item-total correlations, low factor loadings, and to increase both internal consistency and a good fit in structural equation modeling, nine items remained. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted, and two factors were found: Community Hostility and Religious Stereotypes. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted, and the model with nine items exhibited good fit, and all items showed strong factor loadings. The RSSM is a nine-item measure that shows high reliability, content and construct validity, as well as convergent and discriminant validity with a public stigma measure. Future research can also utilize this measure to assess religious suicide stigma and its relationship to mental health symptoms and help-seeking behaviors.