TABLE 2.

Exploratory factor analysis results (n = 100)

	Items (α = 0.87)	1	2	3
Factor 1 Internalization of stigma (α = 0.81)
7	When I hear news about traffic accidents related to epileptic seizures, I feel like I'm being told about myself.	0.95	−0.12	−0.13
16	I feel discriminated against by others because of epilepsy.	0.61	0.00	0.15
6	I feel myself different from others because of I have epilepsy.	0.52	0.25	0.03
1	I feel sometimes embarrassed for epilepsy.	0.48	0.03	0.29
Factor 2 Societal incomprehension (α = 0.76)
5	Few people have the correct information about the disease of epilepsy.	−0.14	0.91	−0.05
4	Ordinary people do not understand my suffering from epilepsy and the worry of seizures.	0.21	0.65	0.05
Factor 3 Confidentiality (α = 0.85)
12	I want to hide the fact that I go to hospital to receive therapy for epilepsy.	−0.08	−0.03	0.99
8	It is hard to tell others that I have epilepsy.	0.05	−0.01	0.77
	Interfactor correlation	1	2	3
	1		0.66	0.67
	2			0.45
	3
Excluded items
2	I think many people have a bad image of epilepsy.
3	I think my epileptic seizures are bothering others.
9	I'm afraid of epileptic seizures.
10	I have epilepsy so I can't do what I want to do (eg, sports, work, marriage, etc).
11	I think epilepsy causes people to worry more than necessary.
13	Epilepsy is thought to be a special illness that cannot be cured by the ordinary people.
14	I have a bad image about epilepsy.
15	I think epilepsy is attributed to me by the ordinary people.
17	I find it hard to keep taking medicine because of epilepsy.
18	I can't live the way I want because of epilepsy.

Bold indicates each inter factors correlation.

Extraction method: maximum likelihood estimation; rotation method: Promax.

Abbreviation: ESSS, Epilepsy Self‐Stigma Scale.