The Prejudice Towards People with Mental Illness Scale: Psychometric Properties of the Italian Version (PPMI-IT)
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The present study investigated the validity of the Italian version of the Prejudice towards People with Mental Illness scale (PPMI-IT) in measuring biases toward individuals with mental health issues. The original instrument was translated and back translated from english into italian. A sample of 455 italian-speaking participants (65% female; Mage= 33.39; SD=13.21) was utilized to conduct exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, confirming a four-factor structure (Fear - Avoidance, Malevolence, Authoritarianism, Unpredictability). Factor loadings indicated that each dimension was well represented, supporting the construct validity of the scale. Model fit indices, including Chi-Square (χ² = 782.54, df = 296.00, χ²/df = 2.64), RMSEA (0.06, 90% CI: 0.060–0.07), CFI (0.93), TLI (0.91), and SRMR (0.06), suggest an excellent model fit. Furthermore, the analysis of correlations and the Heterotrait-Monotrait (HTMT) ratio provides evidence supporting the discriminant validity of the PPMI scale from Social Desirability. These findings confirm that the PPMI scale is a valid and reliable tool for assessing biases toward individuals with mental health issues, making it suitable for academic research, clinical interventions, and public policy contexts.