APA Dictionary of Psychology

a self-report questionnaire that measures the effect on patients and their families of negative social attitudes toward the patients’ health or mental health condition or disorder. Respondents answer questions about the impact of stigma on their quality of life, family relations, social contacts, and self-esteem, rating each item on a scale ranging from 0 (no impact) to 10 (highest impact). The SIS has been used to measure this impact on families with members who have Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, mental health disorders such as bipolar disorder, and intellectual and developmental disability.