Association between Self-Stigma and psychological distress in epilepsy

INTRODUCTION: Self-stigma is increasingly recognised as an important psychosocial burden among people with epilepsy (PWE), particularly among those experiencing depressive and anxiety symptoms. This study examined the association between self-stigma, psychological symptoms, self-esteem, work motivation, and quality of life in PWE.

METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, adults with epilepsy were assessed using the Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy (NDDI-E), Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Epilepsy Self-Stigma Scale (ESSS), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), Work Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation Scale (WEIMS), and Quality of Life in Epilepsy Inventory-31 (QOLIE-31). Participants screening positive for depression and/or severe anxiety symptoms were offered psychiatric referral. Group comparisons and Pearson correlation analyses were performed.

RESULTS: Of 207 patients, 34 (16.4%) screened positive for depression and/or severe anxiety symptoms. Compared with those screened negative, they had poorer seizure control (76.5% vs. 56.1%,p = 0.027), higher self-stigma (22.24 ± 4.09 vs. 18.49 ± 4.08,p