Standardised Stigma Measure (SSM)
Measuring stigma, understanding impact, and supporting evidence-based decision-making through a structured quantitative research instrument designed for consistent use across populations, demographic groups, communities, and environments.
What Is the SSM?
The Standardised Stigma Measure, known as SSM, is a quantitative research instrument developed to measure stigma consistently and compare results across demographic groups, communities, and research settings.
The SSM is designed to support mental health planning, wellbeing initiatives, education programs, community development, public health strategy, outdoor wellbeing research, and research-informed policy design.
This page provides a technical overview of the instrument, its purpose, domains, scoring approach, applications, and research use.
Why Measure Stigma?
Stigma can influence wellbeing, participation, confidence, social inclusion, outdoor engagement, and access to community life. Measuring stigma helps turn an often-hidden social issue into evidence that can be analysed and addressed.
Stress, Anxiety & Withdrawal
Stigma can contribute to stress, anxiety, reduced confidence, emotional withdrawal, and reduced wellbeing.
Participation & Belonging
Stigma may reduce participation in community life, recreation, education, and public spaces.
Confidence & Development
Stigma can influence confidence, peer interaction, social development, and willingness to participate.
Social Acceptance
Measurement helps identify where people feel accepted, excluded, judged, or unsupported.
Targeted Intervention
Better measurement can help direct resources, prevention programs, and wellbeing initiatives.
Evidence-Based Decisions
Quantified data can support stronger planning, evaluation, and public policy development.
Purpose of the SSM
The SSM was created to support consistent stigma measurement and provide actionable insights for research, prevention, program design, and policy planning.
Measure Consistently
Measure stigma levels using a standardised approach across different groups and research contexts.
Identify Affected Groups
Identify groups, regions, or demographics most affected by perceived or internalised stigma.
Understand Impacts
Analyse behavioural, emotional, social, and participation-related impacts associated with stigma.
Support Program Design
Inform preventive health, education, wellbeing, inclusion, and community development programs.
Track Change Over Time
Support repeated measurement to monitor changes in stigma and evaluate future interventions.
Core Domains of the SSM
The SSM uses a multi-dimensional structure. Each domain captures a specific aspect of stigma connected to psychological, social, emotional, and behavioural experience.
Perceived Judgment
Measures how strongly individuals feel evaluated by others based on appearance, identity, or perceived difference.
Internalised Stigma
Captures the degree to which individuals adopt negative beliefs about themselves.
Behavioural Avoidance
Assesses avoidance of social, recreational, educational, occupational, or outdoor activities due to stigma.
Emotional Impact
Measures anxiety, stress, reduced confidence, emotional withdrawal, and related effects.
Social Perception
Evaluates feelings of belonging, acceptance, inclusion, and community connection.
Instrument Design
The SSM is designed as a structured, scalable, and comparable measurement tool suitable for population, community, institutional, and research contexts.
Multi-Dimensional Structure
Multiple domains allow stigma to be assessed as a complex experience rather than a single general feeling.
Standardised Scoring
Clear scoring rules allow domain-level and combined analysis across populations and study settings.
Likert-Type Responses
Likert-type items allow respondents to indicate degree of agreement, frequency, intensity, or perceived impact.
Cross-Population Comparability
Results can be compared across age groups, regions, cultural backgrounds, and demographic segments.
Scientific Foundations
The SSM has been designed using standard psychometric principles and is intended for further validation through appropriate research partnerships and ethics-approved study implementation.
Item Refinement
Items are refined to improve clarity, relevance, consistency, and conceptual alignment.
Content Validation
Domains and items are reviewed for relevance to stigma, wellbeing, body image, social inclusion, and participation.
Pilot Testing
Pilot testing supports review of usability, item interpretation, response patterns, and practical deployment.
Internal Consistency Assessment
Internal consistency assessment supports evaluation of whether items within each domain operate coherently.
Standardised Scoring Methodology
Standard scoring rules support consistent interpretation, segmentation, and comparison across groups.
Applications
The SSM can be adapted for multiple research contexts while maintaining consistent methodology.
Schools
Supporting wellbeing, confidence, social inclusion, and anti-bullying research.
Youth Wellbeing
Identifying stigma-related risks that may affect participation, confidence, and mental wellbeing.
Community Health
Supporting public health and community inclusion programs with structured stigma data.
Workplace Research
Examining perceived judgment, inclusion, identity-related pressures, and social belonging in workplace contexts.
Outdoor Wellbeing Studies
Assessing how stigma affects use of parks, public spaces, recreation, and outdoor wellbeing environments.
Population Research
Supporting large-scale surveys across regions, demographics, and community groups.
Public Health Programs
Helping design targeted prevention, inclusion, and education initiatives.
Academic Research
Providing a structured instrument for research on stigma, wellbeing, body image, and social participation.
Scoring & Interpretation
Each SSM domain generates a sub-score. These sub-scores can be combined into a broader stigma index to support interpretation, segmentation, reporting, and program design.
Policy Relevance
By quantifying stigma, the SSM can help support evidence-informed decisions across wellbeing, education, community inclusion, and public health planning.
Mental Health
Supporting prevention, early intervention, wellbeing monitoring, and community mental health planning.
Suicide Prevention
Helping identify stigma-related risk factors that may affect vulnerability, isolation, or help-seeking behaviour.
School Wellbeing
Supporting evidence-informed wellbeing strategies within education settings.
Anti-Bullying
Providing data that may support programs addressing judgment, exclusion, identity pressure, and social harm.
Community Inclusion
Identifying where people feel excluded, judged, or unable to participate fully in community life.
Youth Development
Supporting programs that strengthen confidence, belonging, participation, and resilience.
Public Space Planning
Understanding how stigma may influence outdoor participation, park use, and community recreation.
SSM & Future Research
The SSM can support future research by establishing baselines, monitoring trends, identifying affected groups, and evaluating interventions over time.
Establish Baselines
Create baseline stigma profiles for communities, regions, institutions, or population groups.
Identify Vulnerable Groups
Recognise demographic or social groups experiencing higher levels of stigma-related impact.
Understand Participation Barriers
Measure how stigma affects participation in outdoor spaces, community activities, education, or public life.
Monitor Trends
Track changes in stigma over time through repeated measurement and comparable scoring.
Evaluate Interventions
Assess whether education, inclusion, health, or community programs reduce stigma-related outcomes.
Related SSM Resources
These related pages support broader understanding of the Standardised Stigma Measure and its associated research pathway.
SSM
Main entry point for the Standardised Stigma Measure.
The Standardised Stigma Measure
General overview of the SSM and its purpose.
The SSM Response Matrix
Structured response interpretation framework connected to SSM findings.
SSM Preliminary Response Insights
Preliminary insights based on SSM response patterns.
SSM Policy Submission Updates
Updates connected to policy-facing use of the SSM.
SSM NSW 2026 to 27 Pre-Budget Submission
Policy submission material connected to SSM and NSW wellbeing planning.