The Interplay Between Self-Esteem and Social Anxiety in Adults with Epilepsy: The Role of Seizure Frequency

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the self-esteem and social anxiety levels of adult individuals with epilepsy and to examine the moderating effect of seizure frequency on these variables. Method: The study was planned as a descriptive and cross-sectional study. The sample consisted of 307 adults with epilepsy living in Van province in eastern Turkey who met the inclusion criteria. Personal information form, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), and Social Anxiety Scale Short Form were used to collect the data. Data analysis was performed with SPSS Statistics 27 package program at 95 % confidence level and significance level was accepted as p < 0.05. Results: The mean self-esteem score of the participants was 23.46 +/- 1.71 and the mean social anxiety score was 29.55 +/- 2.21. Self-esteem did not show a significant difference according to sociodemographic and clinical characteristics (p > 0.05). Statistically significant differences were found in social anxiety levels in terms of educational status and occupation (p = 0.001 and p = 0.005). The relationship between seizure frequency and self-esteem had a significant negative predictive effect on social fear and restlessness in new situations (b = -0.497; p = 0.001), while the moderating effect of seizure frequency was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Self-esteem of individuals with epilepsy was found to be high and homogeneously distributed independent of sociodemographic factors such as gender, age, and educational status. Social anxiety levels varied according to educational and occupational status.