Factors contributing to the stigma of epilepsy

PURPOSE To evaluate the factors, including personality and coping styles, likely to be influential in enhancing the social stigma of epilepsy. METHODS Data were collected from 400 adults with epilepsy recruited from 10 epilepsy centers in Korea. Clinical information about seizures was obtained by neurologists, and other information was collected from self-completed questionnaires, including those measuring stigma scales. RESULTS Thirty-one percent of people with epilepsy felt stigmatized by their condition and in 9% of these the stigma was severe. Multivariate analysis identified experiences of actual discrimination from society, introverted personality, problem solving controllability, and emotional subscale of QOLIE-31 as being independently associated with the social stigma of epilepsy. CONCLUSIONS Episodes of discrimination, coping strategies, and personality may be important in feeling the stigma of epilepsy. These findings may provide a basis for further studies to clarify the causative factors generating the stigma of epilepsy.