Perceived stigma and related anxiety in adults diagnosed with epilepsy in Malta

Abstract

Although epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders, the condition is still not fully understood and there are complex consequences related to it. To date, few studies in Malta have been carried out on the psychological aspects of epilepsy and the possible anxiety and the stigma around this condition. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the possibility of a relationship between anxiety and stigma in persons with epilepsy in Malta. This research was based on the hypothesis that the more stigma a person with epilepsy comes across, the higher anxiety levels they will. A quantitative approach was used to complete this study. The ‘Kilifi Stigma Scale’ and the ‘Generalised Anxiety Disorder’ scale were chosen as the tools to assess this hypothesis and other relevant associations. Data collected from the questionnaires was analyzed through IBM SPSS 26â. Twenty-eight persons with epilepsy participated in the study. The majority of the participants were female (67.9%; n=9), while the rest were male (32.1%; n=9). The mean age was 41.6 years (range 18-74 years). Overall, the main findings were that, in this population, higher levels of anxiety are associated with higher levels of stigma (p<0.001) and that seizure frequency is associated with a higher stigma score (p<0.01). The results from this study can be used to formulate recommendations as to how to create more awareness about epilepsy in the Maltese context, in the hopes that stigma and misconceptions about the condition will someday be eliminated.