Community integration, self-esteem, and perceived stigma in a Nigerian sample with epilepsy.

Abstract Objective The objective of the study was to investigate the levels, interrelationships, and associated factors of community integration (CI), perceived stigma (PS), and self-esteem in people living with epilepsy (PWE) in Anambra and Enugu States of south-east Nigeria. Methods This was a cross-sectional survey involving 70 consenting adults living with epilepsy consecutively recruited from three purposively sampled specialized clinics in Anambra State. The Reintegration to Normal Living Index, the Epilepsy Stigma Scale, and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale were used to estimate CI, PS, and self-esteem, respectively among the participants. Data were analyzed at 0.05 level of significance. Results The mean age of the participants (28.6% females) was 34.91 ± 16.21 years. The participants had moderate PS score (43.54 ± 14.20), poor self-esteem score (17.63 ± 6.12), and mild-to-moderately restricted CI score (67.83 ± 24.72). Participants' PS, CI, and self-esteem significantly correlated with one another (p  Conclusion People living with epilepsy had moderate PS, poor self-esteem, and mild-to-moderate CI, which correlated significantly with one another. Results suggest the possibility of using CI as an outcome for assessing the effectiveness of stigma and self-esteem interventions during epilepsy rehabilitation.