Factors associated with social anxiety in South Korean adults with epilepsy

Abstract Purpose The aim of this study was to examine social anxiety in South Korean adults with epilepsy and to identify associated factors. Method This was a cross-sectional, multicenter study in South Korea. Social anxiety was assessed using short forms of the Social Phobia Scale (SPS-6) and Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS-6). The SPS-6 scores ≥ 9 and SIAS-6 scores ≥ 12 were considered indicative of social phobia and social interaction anxiety, respectively. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9); Stigma Scale-Revised (SS-R); Disclosure Management Scale; Family Adaptation, Partnership, Growth, Affection, Resolve (F-APGAR) scale; and a questionnaire assessing knowledge about epilepsy were also used. Results Of a total of 219 patients with epilepsy, 21% and 11% had SPS-6 scores ≥ 9 and SIAS-6 scores ≥ 12, respectively. In logistic regression analysis, SPS-6 scores ≥ 9 were independently associated with SS-R scores of 4–9 (odds ratio [OR]: 8.626, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.515–29.587, p = .001), SS-R scores 1–3 (OR: 5.496, 95% CI: 1.757–17.197, p = .003), and PHQ-9 scores ≥ 10 (OR: 4.092, 95% CI: 1.823–9.185, p = .001). In contrast, SIAS-6 scores ≥ 12 were related only to PHQ-9 scores ≥ 10 (OR: 8.740, 95% CI: 3.237–23.599, p  Conclusion Social anxiety is not rare in patients with epilepsy. In this study, social phobia was associated with perceived stigma and depressive symptoms, whereas social interaction anxiety was related only to depressive symptoms in patients with epilepsy.