An investigation of the level of stigma and the factors influencing it in the rehabilitation of young and middle-aged stroke patients-a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: There are few reported studies on stigma in young and middle-aged stroke patients during the rehabilitation period, however, the rehabilitation period plays a key role in the patients’ disease regression. Exploring the level of stigma and the influencing factors in young and middle-aged stroke patients during the rehabilitation period is crucial for determining how to reduce the level of stigma and improve the patients’ motivation for rehabilitation treatment. Therefore, this study investigated the level of stigma in young and middle-aged stroke patients and analyzed the factors influencing stigma in order to provide a reference or basis for healthcare professionals to develop effective and targeted stigma intervention programs. METHODS: Using a convenience sampling method, 285 young and middle-aged stroke patients admitted to the rehabilitation medicine department of a tertiary care hospital in Shenzhen, China, from November 2021 to September 2022 were selected and surveyed using a general information questionnaire, the Stroke Stigma Scale(SSS), the Barthel Index(BI), and the Positive and Negative Emotions Scale(PANAS), and multiple linear regression and smoothed curve fitting were used to analyze the factors influencing the stigma of young and middle-aged stroke patients during the rehabilitation period. RESULTS: SSS score of 45.08 ± 11.06, univariate analysis of age, occupation, education level, pre-stroke monthly income, insurance type, comorbid chronic disease status, primary caregiver, BI, positive and negative emotion as factors influencing stigma. Multiple linear regression showed that age, pre-stroke monthly income, BI, positive and negative emotions were independent influences on stigma in young and middle-aged stroke patients, explaining 58.0% of the total variance in stigma. A smoothed curve fit revealed a curvilinear relationship between the above influences and stigma. CONCLUSION: Young and middle-aged stroke patients have a moderate level of stigma. Medical staff should focus on young patients aged 18–44 years, those with high monthly income before the stroke, those with poor self-care ability, and those with low positive and high negative emotion scores, and conduct early assessments and adopt targeted intervention programs according to the influencing factors to reduce the stigma of young and middle-aged stroke patients, improve their motivation for rehabilitation, and help them return to their families and society as soon as possible. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registration number of China Clinical Trials Registration Center: 20,220,328,004-FS01. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12883-023-03189-4.