Stigma and Quality of Life in Epilepsy.
Abstract number :
3.084
Submission category :
Year :
2001
Submission ID :
2715
Source :
www.aesnet.org
Presentation date :
12/1/2001 12:00:00 AM
Published date :
Dec 1, 2001, 06:00 AM
Authors :
S.J. Choi, RN, Neurology, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea; S.B. Hong, MD, Neurology, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea; D.W. Seo, MD, Neurology, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
RATIONALE: Epilepsy patients may have problems in the interpersonal relationship and coping abilities because of stigma. The purpose of this study was to identify the degree of stigma and the relationship between the clinical factors, quality of life (QOL) and the stigma in epilepsy patients.
METHODS: One hundred and sixty-three patients with epilepsy were included. The research instruments were questionnaires for collecting demographic and disease-specific data, the stigma and quality of life. The modified Kim Eun Ja[ssquote]s stigma scale (1997) was used. It consists of two domains (enacted stigma, felt stigma) and has 10 items. The quality of life was evaluated by QOLIE-31. To evaluate the correlation between the clinical factors, QOL and the stigma, Pearson correlation coefficient, t-test, ANAOVA and multiple regression analysis were used.
RESULTS: 51.5% of all patients had stigma. There was a significant negative correlation (r=-0.585, p[lt]0.01) between the total score of stigma and the QOL. Two domains of stigma were also negatively correlated with QOL as follows: felt stigma (r =-0.848, p[lt]0.01) and enacted stigma (r=-0.542, p[lt]0.01). The number of antiepileptic drugs (AED) (r=-0.199, p[lt]0.05) and seizure duration (r=-0.197, p[lt]0.05) showed a significant negative correlation with QOL. The mean value of stigma was significantly affected by unemployment and frequency of seizures. The clinical factors that could predict the degree of stigma were unemployment, the number of AED, seizure duration and the seizure frequency.
CONCLUSIONS: The felt stigma and the enacted stigma affected the QOL of epilepsy patients. These results suggest that psychosocial interventions are necessary to treat the negative reaction and depressed self-esteems of epilepsy patients in order to improve their QOL.