Investigation the relationship between stigma and self-confidence in adolescents with epilepsy

Aim: The aim of the study is to investigate the relationship between percieved stigma and self-confidence of adolescents with epilepsy. Material and Method: The research is a descriptive study conducted with 60 adolescents with epilepsy and 60 healthy adolescents aged 10-19 years who applied to Mardin Training and Research Hospital between September 2022 and March 2023. The data were collected by applying a face-to-face survey method through a personal information form measuring the sociodemographic characteristics of the participants, the Self-Confidence Scale and the Child Perceptions Scale. Permission to participate was obtained from the participants and their parents with a consent form. Data analysis was performed using SPSS Statistics 26 program. Results: The mean score of epileptic adolescents on the Self-Confidence Scale was 3.36±0.8, while the mean score of healthy adolescents was 3.81±0.71; the relationship between these scores was found to be statistically significant (p<0.05). The mean score of adolescents with epilepsy in CPS was 2.84±1.1, and the relationship between CPS scores and SCS scores was found to be statistically insignificant (r=-0.214; p=0.101). Conclusion: The level of self-confidence of epileptic adolescents was lower than that of healthy adolescents, and the level of stigma of adolescents with epilepsy was found to be moderate but no relationship was found between the level of self-confidence of epileptic adolescents and their perceived stigma. It is recommended to aim to reduce discrimination by raising awareness of epilepsy in the society and to take initiatives to increase the self-confidence of epileptic adolescents. Key Words: Epilepsy, Adolescent, Felt Stigma, Self-Confidence.