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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · International Journal of Epilepsy 2016; 03(02): 075-079
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijep.2016.05.001
Research paper
Thieme Medical and Scientific Publishers Private Ltd.

Arranged marriages in people with epilepsy: A pilot knowledge, attitudes and practices survey from India

Akriti Gupta
a   Dayanand Medical College, Ludhiana, India
,
Jasneet Singh Chawla
a   Dayanand Medical College, Ludhiana, India
,
Karan Saggar
b   Baba Jaswant Singh Dental College, Ludhiana, India
,
Praneet Wander
c   Mount Sinai St Luke's Roosevelt Hospital, New York, United States
,
Hitant Vohra
d   Department of Anatomy, Dayanand Medical College, Ludhiana, India
,
R. K. Bansal
e   Department of Neurology, Dayanand Medical College, Ludhiana, India
,
Caroline Selai
f   UCL Institute of Neurology, Queens Square, London WC1N3BG, UK
,
Gagandeep Singh
e   Department of Neurology, Dayanand Medical College, Ludhiana, India
f   UCL Institute of Neurology, Queens Square, London WC1N3BG, UK
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Publikationsverlauf

Received: 26. Februar 2016

Accepted: 09. Mai 2016

Publikationsdatum:
06. Mai 2018 (online)

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Abstract

Introduction Marriage is a socially challenging barrier in the personal lives of people with epilepsy worldwide. However, it is during arranges marriages, which are common in South Asian communities, that epilepsy is most profoundly stigmatizing. We hypothesized that the felt stigma associated with epilepsy during arranged marriages affects women more frequently and intensely.

Materials and methods A pilot study in married (n = 38) and unmarried PWE (n = 58) and general public (n = 150) to explore gender-based differences in the stigma associated with epilepsy during arranged marriages.

Results Majority unmarried PWE (87%) considered arranged marriage as the best way to realize their matrimonial plans. More unmarried women (72%) apprehended problems in adhering to their epilepsy medications regime after marriage (p 0.009) and 50% apprehended victimization in marriage on account of epilepsy (p 0.001). Moreover, 41% of the married women with epilepsy felt that the disclosure had a negative impact on their married life (p 0.047).

Conclusions South Asian WWE experienced more felt stigma than men before and after arranged marriages and this might impact a number of health related psychosocial outcomes. The lack of past experience with epilepsy was associated with a number of misplaced beliefs about and attitudes towards epilepsy.

Keywords

Epilepsy - Marriage - Stigma
 

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