Table 2.
Perception of Stigma
| n=70 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| SSCI-8 score, median (IQR) | 10 (8.0, 15.0) | ||
| Stigma prevalence (total score >8), n (%) | 43 (61.4) | ||
| Frequency, n (%) | |||
| SSCI-8 Items | Never/Rarely | Sometimes | Often/Always |
| Because of my illness, some people seemed uncomfortable with me | 60 (85.7) | 9 (12.9) | 1 (1.4) |
| Because of my illness, some people avoided me | 57 (81.4) | 8 (11.4) | 5 (7.1) |
| Because of my illness, I felt left out of things | 52 (74.3) | 10 (14.3) | 8 (11.4) |
| Because of my illness, people were unkind to me | 61 (87.1) | 7 (10) | 2 (2.9) |
| Because of my illness, people avoided looking at me | 62 (88.6) | 6 (8.6) | 2 (2.9) |
| I felt embarrassed about my illness | 64 (91.4) | 4 (5.7) | 2 (2.9) |
| I felt embarrassed because of my physical limitations | 52 (74.3) | 13 (18.6) | 5 (7.1) |
| Some people acted as though it was my fault I have this illness | 61 (87.1) | 5 (7.1) | 4 (5.7) |
Notes: ©2008–2019 David Cella on behalf of the National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS); some content used with permission of the PROMIS Health Organization.
Abbreviations: SSCI-8, 8-item Stigma Scale for Chronic Illness; IQR, interquartile range.