Pattern and determinants of self-reported enacted stigma among rural dwellers living with epilepsy attending a tertiary health facility in Enugu State Nigeria

Purpose: Epilepsy related stigma is a barrier to recovery and has been linked to a broad range of psychosocial consequences and has the potential to influence the provision of care to people with epilepsy. Understanding the determinants of enacted stigma in epilepsy is relevant in the understanding of the burden of epilepsy in Nigeria. Method: Using a semi-structured questionnaire, a cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among rural dwellers receiving treatment for epilepsy in a tertiary referral specialist hospital in Enugu, south east Nigeria. Results: The participants consisted of 108 patients, 63% of whom were males. Most patients 99(91.7%) reported experiencing stigma in the past. The commonest forms of enacted stigma were being regarded as having ‘spiritual attack’ 88(81.5%) and restraining from interacting with others 49(45.4%). Most individuals who received nonorthodox treatment 55(55.6%) experienced stigma. Severely stigmatized individuals were more likely to be females. Age of onset of epilepsy, use of non-orthodox treatment, seizures occurrence in public places and the presence of physical injuries positively correlated with enacted stigma. Conclusions: The burden of epilepsy related enacted stigma is high among rural dwellers attending a tertiary medical outpatient clinic in Enugu, southeast Nigeria.