Familiarity with and perceptions of stigma about epilepsy among university students

Abstract

In ancient societies epilepsy was identified with evil or demonic possession. Even when biomedical explanations replaced these earlier thoughts, the new paradigm brought along its own myths and shadows of stigma, with studies linking epilepsy to aggressive or criminal behaviour, abnormal sexual activity, hereditary degeneracy, and a specific “epileptic personality”. These explanations have reinforced negative stereotypes and promoted stigma (Jacoby & Austin, 2007). Goffman (1963) defines stigma as the loss of status that arises from having an idiosyncrasy, such as a medical issue, that has been culturally defined as different. According to Ab Rahman (2005), university students represent a better-educated group of society and it is important that they acquire the correct, factual knowledge and attitudes towards healthcare issues. In his study, Ab Rahman (2005) found that the level of awareness and knowledge of epilepsy among students at a Malaysian university was favorable. Nonetheless, the need for more education, knowledge and understanding was evident. To date there are no local studies that focus on stigma towards epilepsy among local university students except for a study by Joseph Dempsey that tackled the subject in his study ‘The knowledge of and attitudes towards Epilepsy amongst university students in Malta’ (2008). The aim of this study was to assess knowledge and perceptions of stigma on epilepsy among university students. The study strived to identify differences in the knowledge and the levels of stigma between students reading for a medical/health science degree and students reading for other types of degrees. The study was based on the hypothesis that students who are pursuing studies in healthcare will demonstrate less stigma and more knowledge than students reading for other courses. The study adopted a quantitative approach using a survey design. The research tool used for the study is the ‘Epilepsy Beliefs and Attitudes Scale’, created by Mina Gajjar, Ph.D., C. Psych., and presented in her thesis ‘Developing a Rating Scale for Assessing Culture-Specific Beliefs and Attitudes About Epilepsy’ (2001). The scale includes two parts; the first part investigating the knowledge about Epilepsy through Yes/No answers and short answers (if applicable), and the second part analyzing the levels of stigma through a fourpoint Likert scale. Questionnaires were distributed among University of Malta students who were following a programme of studies. The data collected was analysed using SPSS. The findings of this study were used to propose suggestions to increase knowledge and awareness about epilepsy among university students and young people, in an effort to combat stereotypes and stigma about the condition.