Public awareness, understanding & attitudes toward epilepsy

Abstract

The public awareness, understanding and attitudes towards epilepsy were evaluated in a north Indian population in 1992 by personal interview method. The study revealed that 92 per cent of the respondents had read or heard about epilepsy. More than 55 per cent knew someone and had seen a case of seizure. Eighty five per cent of the respondents were not aware of the cause of epilepsy or had wrong beliefs. Eighteen and 15 per cent thought epilepsy to be a hereditary disorder and a form of insanity respectively. About 40 per cent of the respondents felt that children with epilepsy should not be sent to school and also objected to their children's contact with epileptics at school or at play. Two-thirds of the respondents objected to their children marrying a person who had ever had epilepsy. Twenty per cent were ignorant about the manifestation of epilepsy and an equal number were unable to recommend any therapy in case their relatives or friends had epilepsy. Fifty seven per cent did not know what kind of first aid should be given during the epileptic attack. Although the awareness of epilepsy among Indian people was comparable to that of individuals in Western countries, the attitudes of the Indians were much more negative. Better educated people belonging to higher occupational groups were less prejudiced against social contact and schooling of their children with epileptic children compared to low educational and occupational groups.