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Published on: December 9, 2015
An Exploratory Investigation of Social Stigma and Concealment in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis
Jonathan E Cook1, Adriana L Germano1, Gertraud Stadler1
1Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA (JEC); Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA (ALG); and Institute of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK (GS).
Objective:
We conducted a preliminary investigation into dimensions of stigma and their relation to disease concealment in a sample of American adults living with multiple sclerosis (MS).
Methods:
Fifty-three adults with MS in the United States completed an online survey assessing anticipated, internalized, and isolation stigma, as well as concealment.
Results:
Responses to all the scales were relatively low, on average, but above scale minimums (P < .001). Ratings of isolation stigma and concealment were highest. Anticipated stigma strongly predicted concealment.
Conclusions:
Many adults living with MS may be concerned that they will be the target of social stigma because of their illness. These concerns are associated with disease concealment. More research is needed to investigate how MS stigma and concealment may be independent contributors to health in patients with MS.
