Internal Stigmatization and Mental Health in Patients with Stroke

Abstract

Objective: Patients with neurological disorders may experience emotional, cognitive and physical impairments.The previous survey studies showed stigmatization in stroke patients but unique to our study we have evaluated stigma in our stroke patient population according to their physical functional impairments.

Materials and Methods: This prospective cross sectional study was performed in the Outpatient Stroke Clinics of University of Health Sciences Turkey, Antalya Training and Research Hospital between 1 April 2020 and 1 September 2020. The patients were included if the patient experienced a stroke at least one year prior and a modified Rankin score (mRS) of 0 or 1. We applied the stigmatization scale and the general health questionnaire (GHQ) to our study population.

Results: A total of 89 (70 males, 19 females) patients were included. The mean age was 58+/-9.45. Except the stigma resistance subscale (p=0.721), there was a statistically significant difference between the alienation (p=0.01), the stereotype endorsement (p=0.02), the discrimination experience (p=0.01), and the social withdrawal (p=0.04), in mRS1 patients. In the group of mRS score of 1, the alienation (with diabetes mellitus (DM) 13.0±3.6, without DM 10.4±3,.4, p=0.03) and the overall stigmatization (with DM 70.9±15.7,without DM 60.6±13.8, p=0.04) score was statistically significant in the diabetic population. There was a statistically significant correlation between GHQ and internalized stigma mean overall of score internalized stigma (r=0.435 p=0.01).

Conclusion: The strategies for correcting internalized stigma may be effective to improve the quality of life and negative health perception in stroke patients.

University of Health Sciences Turkey, Antalya Training and Research Hospital review board approved the study protocol (IRB approval date:13/02/2020, decision number: 3/24).

Written informed consent was obtained from all study participants.

Externally peer-reviewed.

Surgical and Medical Practices: E.Ö.G., Concept: E.Ö.G., Ş.D.K., Design: E.Ö.G., Data Collection or Processing: E.Ö.G., Ş.D.K., Analysis or Interpretation: E.Ö.G., Ş.D.K., Literature Search: E.Ö.G., Ş.D.K., Writing: Ş.D.K.

No conflict of interest was declared by the authors.

The authors declared that this study received no financial support.