An investigation of the level of stigma and the factors influencing it in the rehabilitation of young and middle-aged stroke patients-a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background There are few reported studies on stigma in young and middle-aged stroke patients during the rehabilitation period, however, the rehabilitation period plays a key role in the patients’ disease regression. Exploring the level of stigma and the influencing factors in young and middle-aged stroke patients during the rehabilitation period is crucial for determining how to reduce the level of stigma and improve the patients’ motivation for rehabilitation treatment. Therefore, this study investigated the level of stigma in young and middle-aged stroke patients and analyzed the factors influencing stigma in order to provide a reference or basis for healthcare professionals to develop effective and targeted stigma intervention programs. Methods Using a convenience sampling method, 285 young and middle-aged stroke patients admitted to the rehabilitation medicine department of a tertiary care hospital in Shenzhen, China, from November 2021 to September 2022 were selected and surveyed using a general information questionnaire, the Stroke Stigma Scale(SSS), the Barthel Index(BI), and the Positive and Negative Emotions Scale(PANAS), and multiple linear regression and smoothed curve fitting were used to analyze the factors influencing the stigma of young and middle-aged stroke patients during the rehabilitation period. Results SSS score of 45.08 ± 11.06, univariate analysis of age, occupation, education level, pre-stroke monthly income, insurance type, comorbid chronic disease status, primary caregiver, BI, positive and negative emotion as factors influencing stigma. Multiple linear regression showed that age, pre-stroke monthly income, BI, positive and negative emotions were independent influences on stigma in young and middle-aged stroke patients, explaining 58.0% of the total variance in stigma. A smoothed curve fit revealed a curvilinear relationship between the above influences and stigma. Conclusion Young and middle-aged stroke patients have a moderate level of stigma. Medical staff should focus on young patients aged 18–44 years, those with high monthly income before the stroke, those with poor self-care ability, and those with low positive and high negative emotion scores, and conduct early assessments and adopt targeted intervention programs according to the influencing factors to reduce the stigma of young and middle-aged stroke patients, improve their motivation for rehabilitation, and help them return to their families and society as soon as possible. Trial Registration Registration number of China Clinical Trials Registration Center: 20,220,328,004-FS01.

Stigma and loneliness among young and middle‐aged stroke survivors: A moderated mediation model of interpersonal sensitivity and resilience

“…Second, this study confirms that stigma has a significant positive impact on loneliness, with interpersonal sensitivity playing a partial mediating role between the two. Finally, we find that resilience plays a moderating In this study, the stigma of young and middle-aged stroke survivors was higher than that of participants in the study by Zheng et al (2023). This may attributed to differences in sample size.…”

“…Especially in domestic Chinese society, which is influenced by Confucianism and traditional concepts of face, the stigma experienced during illness may be higher. Related research shows the stigma among young and middle-aged patients experience moderate amounts of stigma (Zheng et al, 2023). Empirical research by Tülay Yildirim found that the emergence of stigma may lead to loss of social identity, reduced social activity, reluctance to seek help from social resources and avoidance behaviours, thereby increasing individual loneliness (Yildirim & Kavak Budak, 2020).…”

Experienced inclusion and recognition amongst people with spinal cord injury: A comparative study in Norway, The Netherlands, and Australia

“…This is particularly so if we depart from a social recognition perspective, where an initial impairment is less visible and obvious, and therefore potentially mis-recognised as a constraint and personal challenge in the public sphere. This is also personal challenges that has been described in previous studies in other minor groups, including minor stroke [24], chronic fatigue [25] and pain [26].…”

Trajectories of intrusive and deliberate rumination in young and middle‐aged stroke survivors: A growth mixture modeling approach

“…A score of 100 indicates no dependence, 61-99 indicates mild dependence, 41-60 indicates moderate dependence, and 40 or less indicates severe dependence. The Chinese version of the BI has been widely used in stroke survivors (Tian et al, 2023;Zheng et al, 2023). The reliability coefficient was above 0.92, and the split-half reliability coefficient ranged from 0.86 to 0.89, showing good reliability (Cai et al, 2007).…”