Stigmatisation, Health Disclosure and Sexual Functioning: Predictors of Psychological Wellbeing of Obstetric Fistula Patients

Abstract

The present study examined stigmatisation, health disclosure, and sexual functioning as predictors of psychological wellbeing among women with obstetric fistula. The study adopted a cross sectional design. A sample of 183 women with obstetric fistula from the National Obstetric Fistula Centre Abakaliki were purposively sampled and administered with a questionnaire comprising the Ryff (1989) Psychological Well-Being Scale (PWBS), the Szivos (1991) Stigma Perception Questionnaire (SPQ), Checkton’s (2010) Distress Disclosure Inventory (DDI), and the Female Sexual Quality of life Questionnaire (SQL-f) by Symonds, Boolell, and Quirk (2005). Cross sectional design was used for the study and hierarchical multiple regression was used for data analysis. Results showed that that age was positively related to psychological wellbeing (r=.29, p < .01). Length of time before corrective surgery was also positively related to psychological wellbeing (r=.36, p < .01). However, stigmatisation was negatively related to psychological wellbeing (r=-.35, p < .01). A hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed that stigmatisation significantly predicted psychological wellbeing (β=-.35, t=-5.03, p<.05).It also contributed 12% to the explanation of the variance in psychological wellbeing (∆R2=.12). Illness disclosure significantly predicted psychological wellbeing (β=-.38, t=-5.65, p<.05). Also, 13% of the variance in psychological wellbeing was explained by illness disclosure (∆R2 =.13). Also, sexual functioning significantly predicted psychological wellbeing (β=.35, t=5.45, p<.05) and 11% of the variance in psychological wellbeing was explained on account of sexual functioning. Findings were discussed and suggestions for further studies made.