Stigma in tuberculosis patients: a cross-sectional study in the southeast region of Turkey

Since tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease, it affects patients not only physically but also socially and patients are reported to experience stigma. This study was conducted to determine the stigma levels of patients in a tuberculosis dispensary in the southeastern region of Turkey. The study was conducted between December 2020 and June 2021 with 79 patients who agreed to participate. 'Questionnaire' and 'Tuberculosis-Related Stigma Scale' (TSS) were used for data collection. The score obtained from the scale ranges between '33 and 132' and the higher the score, the higher the 'stigma level'. It was determined that 54.4% of the patients were male, 45.6% were primary school and the mean age was 44.98 ± 16.09 years. It was found that 60.8% of the patients had pulmonary TB, 40.5% had been on treatment for 3-6 months, 45.6% described the society's view of TB patients as 'bad, negative, and excluding', 64.8% had adverse effects on their communication with their family and close environment after being diagnosed with TB. The mean TSS score of the patients was 103.51 ± 10.65. TB patients were found to have 'very high' levels of stigma. The mean total stigma is higher in smokers, particularly in cases of pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis, as well as in those whose professional lives are affected.