Stigma. An aspect of epilepsy not to be ignored

Abstract

Stigma is considered to be one of the most important factors that have a negative influence on people with epilepsy (PWE) and their families. It is a global issue commonly encountered in PWE in all cultures. Stigma may have deleterious effects on the patient's life, more than epilepsy itself. It is the duty of all health professionals to try and improve the quality of life of PWE beyond seizures control, and one of the important ways to do so is by fighting stigma. Many different health professionals including physicians, surgeons, social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, and nurses deal with PWE, and hence stigma in PWE can be encountered and dealt with by many diverse specialties. Unfortunately, this issue is addressed primarily in specialized journals like Epilepsia, Epilepsy and Behavior, Seizure, and Social Science Medicine. Professionals interested mainly in epileptology or social sciences read such journals, and we feel that this issue should be addressed in a journal targeting readers of different specialties and interests.