Description

The Stigma Scale of Epilepsy (SSE-5) is an instrument developed to assess the perceived social stigma associated with epilepsy. According to the provided material, it was developed by Fernandes and colleagues in 2007 and consists of 5 questions comprising a total of 24 individual items.

The scale is designed to capture perceptions, attitudes, and possible misconceptions about people living with epilepsy, particularly among individuals who do not themselves have epilepsy.

Objective

The main objective of the SSE is the quantitative assessment of perceived epilepsy stigma within the community.

The instrument can be used to examine how people without epilepsy perceive individuals with epilepsy and, more broadly, to estimate the extent of social stigma associated with the condition.

Its quantitative scoring system also allows comparisons across groups, populations, or time points and may support the evaluation of interventions aimed at reducing stigma.

Content

The SSE includes items concerning the perception of epilepsy within the community and attitudes toward people with epilepsy.

The provided material also refers to the collection of demographic information such as age, occupation, gender, religion, educational level, and socioeconomic status. For people with epilepsy, additional information may include age at seizure onset, seizure type, and medication use.

These variables can be used to explore whether different personal or social characteristics are associated with different levels of perceived stigma.

Scoring

Participants select the most appropriate response for each item using a four-point response scale:

1 = Not at all
2 = A little
3 = A lot
4 = Completely

According to the provided material, responses are converted into an overall SSE score ranging from 0 to 100.

A score of 0 indicates no perceived stigma, whereas 100 represents the maximum level of perceived stigma. Therefore, higher scores indicate greater perceived social stigma related to epilepsy.

Data Analysis and Use

The total SSE score may be treated as a continuous quantitative variable for describing and comparing perceived stigma.

According to the provided material, descriptive statistics such as the mean and standard deviation were used during the development and analysis of the scale to summarize stigma scores.

The data may also be used to compare people with epilepsy and members of the general community, examine differences among sociodemographic groups, or assess changes before and after educational or awareness interventions.

Validity and Reliability

According to the provided text, the SSE demonstrates satisfactory content validity and high internal consistency.

The scale enables the quantitative assessment of perceived epilepsy stigma both among people with epilepsy and among members of the wider community.

The provided material does not report a specific numerical Cronbach’s alpha coefficient or another exact reliability statistic. Therefore, no specific reliability value should be stated without additional primary-source evidence.

Applications

The SSE may be used in epidemiological, psychological, and social research examining epilepsy and stigma.

It may be particularly useful for evaluating educational and public-awareness interventions, including media campaigns designed to reduce negative beliefs and stereotypes related to epilepsy.

The instrument may also support cross-cultural research by allowing comparisons of perceived epilepsy stigma across different populations and social settings.

References

Fernandes, P. T., Salgado, P. C., Noronha, A. L. A., et al. (2007). Epilepsy stigma perception in an urban area of a limited-resource country. Epilepsy & Behavior, 11, 25–32.