Determinants of Felt Stigma among Patients Living with Epilepsy Attending a Tertiary Neurology Clinic in South East Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Felt stigma is a major social and psychological problem in epilepsy and manifests the fear or expectations of such "reactions" from people. Understanding of the pattern and prevalence of felt stigma gives an insight into the burden of this "second illness" of epilepsy in southeast Nigeria. Methods: Consecutive consenting adult epilepsy patients attending a neurology outpatient in Enugu southeast Nigeria were interviewed. Data on felt stigma was also collected using a scale for collection of stigma data on stigma designed by Jacoby et al. Results: A total of 295 patients were interviewed during the study (165 (55.9%) males and 130 (44.1%) females). About 29.4% (88/295) felt stigmatized and 82.1% of them highly so. Correlates of felt stigma were age of onset (negatively), seizure frequency, duration of epilepsy, use of non-orthodox treatment, seizures occurring in public and the presence of physical injuries. Predictors of felt stigma were having seizures in public (R2 = 0.232, p < 0.001) and seizure related injuries (R2 = 0.277, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Felt epilepsy stigma is common among patients attending urban tertiary hospital in southeast Nigeria. Several preventable factors are associated with this phenomenon hence efforts aimed at preventing epilepsy should also target felt stigma prevention.