The Sexual and Gender Minority Knowledge Scale (SGM-K): Initial Development and Validation Among Israeli Healthcare and Mental Health Professionals

Accurate knowledge among healthcare and mental health professionals caring for sexual and gender minority (SGM) youth is central to affirmative, culturally competent practice, yet it is frequently conflated with attitudes or self-perceived competence. This conflation limits detection of concrete knowledge gaps that may undermine clinical practice. The present study developed and validated the Sexual and Gender Minority Knowledge Scale (SGM-K), an objective measure of professional knowledge relevant to affirmative youth care. The scale was validated among healthcare and mental health professionals in Israel (N = 318). Analyses established a parsimonious, psychometrically sound instrument and examined associations with theoretically related and unrelated constructs. Findings supported a coherent structure encompassing foundational knowledge of sexual and gender diversity, key concepts and terminology, and clinically relevant awareness of disparities, diagnostic considerations, and policy contexts. The scale demonstrated acceptable reliability. Knowledge was moderately associated with affirmative beliefs, behaviors, and attitudes; showed negligible relations with perceived societal tolerance; and differentiated professionals by training, personal contact, and clinical experience. The SGM-K offers a brief, objective, theory-driven tool for research, workforce development, and evaluation of affirmative care initiatives. Future research should examine cross-national validity and measurement invariance across cultural settings.