Perceived stigma, discrimination and psychological problems among patients with epilepsy

Abstract

ObjectiveThe current study sought to investigate the effects of perceived stigma and discrimination on epilepsy patients' psychological problems, such as depression, anxiety, and quality of life.Study designA purposive sampling technique was used in this cross-sectional study.Materials and methodsThe sample consisted of 186 patients with epilepsy. The Stigma Scale, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, and Quality of life in Epilepsy-10 were used to measure the study variables.ResultsFindings showed that both the perception of stigma and discrimination have a significant positive correlation with depression as well as anxiety. Stigma is a significant positive predictor of depression and anxiety at [F (1, 184) = 27.8, 15.92, p < 0.001, 0.001, respectively] and explains 12.7 and 7.5% variance that could be attributed to Stigma. Stigma is also a significant predictor of quality of life at [F (1, 184) = 16.10, p < 0.001] and explains the 7.5% variance that could be attributed to Stigma. Results also indicate that discrimination is a significant positive predictor of depression and anxiety at [F (1, 184) = 32.39, 19.91, p < 0.001] and explains 15 and 9.8 % variance, respectively, that could be attributed to Stigma. However, stigma negatively predicts quality of life at [F (1, 184) = 20.34, p < 0.001] and explains 10 % variance. Non-significant differences were found in all the demographic variables (i.e., gender, socio-economic status, and disease duration), except the quality of life was significantly high among individuals with high Socio-economic status.ConclusionsStigma is significantly higher in epileptic patients and has a detrimental effect on the patient's quality of life, recovery, and prognosis. Thus, there is undoubtedly a need to address psychological issues, most notably the stigma associated with illnesses. Psychologists, psychiatrists, other physicians, and care givers of epileptic patients must pay close attention to the stigma in this patient population.

Comparative retrospective analysis: exploring the quality of life of people with epilepsy in two cohorts

“…These psychological comorbidities are closely associated with poorer treatment outcomes, high discrimination or stigmatisation and poor quality of life (Tsigebrhan et al, 2023;Whatley et al, 2010;van Ool et al, 2016). PWE experience stigmatisation and are plagued by a variety of social and psychological implications, which lower their quality of life (Azuma and Akechi, 2014;Malik et al, 2022;Tombini et al, 2021).…”

“…Several cross-sectional studies have been conducted globally to understand the quality of life among PWE and its predictors (Azuma and Akechi, 2014;Chen et al, 2016;Gebre and Haylay, 2018;Honari et al, 2021;Malik et al, 2022;Saadi et al, 2016;Silva et al, 2019;Tombini et al, 2021). Similarly, in Malaysia, QOL among PWE were observed through the cross-sectional studies that are prevailing in a different population at a certain time point, including West and East Malaysia (Lua et al, 2007;Norsa'adah et al, 2013), children with epilepsy (Fong et al, 2018) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (Koh et al, 2021a).…”

A systematic review of the effectiveness of epilepsy education programs on knowledge, attitudes, and skills among primary school learners

“…Certainly, epilepsy stands as a prevalent chronic neurological condition in children, with estimated occurrence rates spanning from 41 to 187 per 100,000 children ( 4 ). Epilepsy can have significant physical, psychological, and social consequences for people living with epilepsy (PLWE), including stigma, discrimination, and reduced quality of life ( 5 , 6 ). Therefore, children with epilepsy often face significant challenges at school, including difficulty concentrating, memory problems, and social isolation.…”

A Prospective Study to Assess the Quality of Life Among the Patients of Generalized Tonic-Clonic Seizure Receiving Treatment Phenytoin Plus Clobazam Versus Sodium Valproate Plus Clobazam Therapy

“…Epilepsy is a serious chronic disorder of the brain and a common neurological abnormality affecting about more than 50 million of the world's population [1]. The factors influencing the quality of life among patients with generalized seizures include seizure severity, unpredictability, stigma, fear, anxiety, and cognitive and psychiatric problems [2]. Therefore, it is often recommended to begin treatment of epilepsy with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) as soon as the patient has reported more than one documented or witnessed seizure bearing in mind that the goal of treatment should be to maintain normal a lifestyle through complete seizure control with no or minimal side effects [3].…”