Internalized stigma in patients with verruca

Abstract

Background and Design: Internalized stigma is the acceptance of negative stereotypes about the disease created by society and withdrawing of oneself from society with emotions such as worthlessness and shame. This study aimed to investigate the internalized stigma status of patients with verruca. Materials and Methods: A total of 58 patients with verruca were included in this study. The sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of these patients were recorded. The Internalized Stigma Scale (ISS) was used. In addition, patients answered the 12-Item General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12) and the Perceived Health Status question. Results: The mean ISS total score was 52.17+-14.73. Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the whole scale for patients with verruca was 0.92. Among the five ISS subscales in patients with verruca, the lowest internal consistency was found in the 'stigma resistance' subscale (Cronbach's alpha coefficient: 0.572), and the highest internal consistency was in the 'social withdrawal' subscale (Cronbach's alpha coefficient: 0.890). A significant correlation was found between the GHQ-12 and ISS total or ISS subscales, except for the 'stigma resistance' subscale (p<0.05). Conclusion: This study revealed that patients with verruca internalize the negative stereotypes of society about the disease. High levels of internalized stigma were related to poor GHQ scores. This may indicate that internalized stigma is associated with depression in patients with verruca. Thus, the psychosocial aspects of patients with verruca should be evaluated.

Keywords

• general health questionnaire
• internalized stigma
• verruca