Socio-demographic, psychosocial, and suicidal behavior correlates of stigma among people with physical disabilities in Northwest Ethiopia

Background People with physical disability may experience stigma in various ways, including social avoidance, negative attitudes and discrimination. Stigma among people with physical disability can vary based on study participants' socio-demographic, behavioral and psychosocial factors. Therefore, identifying the socio-demographic, behavioral and psychosocial correlates of stigma is important because the findings of the study can help inform future interventions aimed at reducing stigma among individuals with a physical disability. Objective This study aimed to assess the psychosocial, suicidal behavior, and socio-demographic correlates of stigma among people with physical disabilities in the University of Gondar communities, northwest Ethiopia. Method Data collection was conducted among 269 participants who had a physical disability within University of Gondar communities in Northwest Ethiopia. The participants, who included students and employees at the University completed the stigma scale for chronic illness (SSCI-8), which was used to measure stigma. The participants also completed four other questionnaires, including the perceived social support, the Kessler - 10, and the WHODAS. We used independent sample t-tests and ANOVA to examine group differences in stigma, while Pearson correlation analysis identified the correlates of stigma with other continuous variables. Result The overall mean stigma score among people with a physical disability was 14.68 with 95% CI (13.98, 15.38). About 90.71% of people with physical disability had stigma. Stigma varied along socio-demographic variables, including marital status (single) with a mean (SD) score of 15.17 +/- 5.64, educational level (diploma and above) with a mean (SD) score of 14.99 +/- 5.89, and occupational status with a mean (SD) score of 15.54 +/- 5.79 (p < 0.001). In addition, stigma varied among participants with suicidal ideation with a mean (SD) score of 16.93 +/- 7.43 and attempt (18.74 +/- 8.41), levels of psychological distress (severe) with a mean (SD) score of 20.88 +/- 6.94 (p < 0.001), low perceived social support with a mean (SD) score of 18.60 +/- 7.54 (p < 0.001), and moderate/severe level of functional impairment with a mean (SD) score of 21.76 +/- 7.34 (p < 0.001). Moreover, stigma was positively correlated with psychological distress (r = 0.42, p < 0.001) and WHO Disability Assessment Schedule (r = 0.5, p < 0.001). Conversely, it was negatively correlated with perceived social support (r=-0.31, p < 0.001). Conclusion Our findings indicate that stigma is prevalent among people with physical disabilities, with variations observed based on marital status, occupation, and education level. Additionally, stigma showed significant correlations with functional impairment, psychological distress, perceived social support, and health related quality of life. Therefore, addressing stigma, promoting social support and providing appropriate interventions can help improve the psychological well-being and quality of life of individuals with physical disabilities.