Knowledge and attitudes towards epilepsy: A survey of people with epilepsy

Seizure first aid in the community: current situation, suggestions, and the role of the general practitioner in seizure management

The unpredictability of seizures underscores the importance of timely recognition and intervention for optimal prognosis. Seizure first aid (SFA) is an essential skill for community members. We reviewed the literature to assess the challenges and explore potential solutions for effective SFA implementation in community settings. The findings reveal that the knowledge of SFA varies significantly among different groups and countries. There are common misunderstandings, such as point therapy, unnecessary ambulance calls, putting objects into the mouth, inappropriate administration of anti-seizure medications, and performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Effective SFA training content includes ensuring the safety of patients, avoiding restraint, using lateral position, clearing the respiratory tract, avoiding placing objects into the mouth, recording details, and seeking for professional help. Training methods range from hospital-based courses to community center workshops and online platforms. General practitioners play a pivotal role in epilepsy management and should be actively involved in SFA training initiatives. Therefore, the development of targeted, diverse, and comprehensive training and evaluation strategies, along with collaborative efforts from the whole society, is essential to improve the level and effectiveness of community SFA.

Effect of familiarity and knowledge about epilepsy on associated cultural stereotypes in French society

People with epilepsy face stigma that impacts numerous aspects of their daily lives. Although the stigma surrounding people with epilepsy has been extensively documented, the mechanisms underlying it-such as cultural stereotypes-remain to be explored. Cultural stereotypes are widely shared beliefs within a cultural context about attributes typically associated with members of a particular group. This study, conducted within French society, has two primary objectives: 1) to define the content of cultural stereotypes associated with people suffering from epilepsy and 2) to examine how familiarity and knowledge about epilepsy influence these stereotypes. To explore these stereotypes, a free association task was conducted across three cultural groups (n = 96): (1) the general population, with low familiarity and knowledge about epilepsy (n = 39); (2) healthcare professionals without epilepsy specialization, who have more familiarity and knowledge than the general population (n = 38); and (3) healthcare professionals specialized in epilepsy, who have the highest familiarity and knowledge of the three groups (n = 29). All participants held higher education qualifications to ensure a more homogeneous socio-cultural background across groups. Using the software program "IraMuTeQ", we analyzed the diversity of terms each group associated with "people with epilepsy." Additionally, we examined the valence and typicality of cultural stereotypes in each group. The results reveal that, regardless of familiarity and knowledge levels, cultural stereotypes linked to epilepsy are generally negative. Across the entire sample, the most prototypical associations with people with epilepsy included "madness," "possession," "tongue," and "intellectual deficiency." The general population shares some cultural stereotypes with non-specialized healthcare professionals (e.g., "photosensitivity"), while non-specialized professionals share other associations with specialized healthcare professionals (e.g., "intellectual deficiency" and "mental illness"). However, no overlap was found between the cultural stereotypes of the general population and those of healthcare professionals specialized in epilepsy. Stereotypes related to epilepsy appear to be less typical among healthcare professionals compared to the general population. This distinction between cultural stereotypes and personal beliefs is further discussed below. Considering cultural stereotypes may allow for more tailored and effective interventions to reduce epilepsy-related stigma by addressing specific socio-cultural groups. Further research within a cross-cultural approach is recommended to deepen these findings.

Awareness, attitudes and first aid knowledge of epilepsy among university students - A cross-sectional study in Henan Province, China

PURPOSE

Epilepsy is a debilitating disease that can lead to series of social and psychological issues, impairing the quality of life of people with epilepsy (PWE). This survey aimed to investigate the awareness, attitudes, and first-aid knowledge of epilepsy in university students METHOD: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Henan Province, China between January 1 and April 30, 2022. Students majored in education, medicine, science and engineering from 8 universities attended the study. The survey questionnaire comprised 28 questions covering 4 sections: demographic characteristics, awareness of epilepsy, attitudes toward PWE and knowledge of first aid for seizures.

RESULTS

A total of 2376 university students completed the questionnaire. 94.7% heard of epilepsy. In the first aid knowledge section, individual question was correctly answered by at least 50% students, 9.3% students correctly answered all questions. Attitude toward PWE was independently (R2 =0.108, F=73.227, p < 0.001) associated with both awareness of epilepsy (B=0.411, p < 0.001) and first aid knowledge of epilepsy (B=0.047, p = 0.001). Among the three majors, medical students had more positive attitudes toward PWE than students majored in education, science and engineering (p < 0.05). However, medical students performed worse among the groups when answering the first aid knowledge questions.

CONCLUSION

This survey showed that university students in Central China had a good awareness of epilepsy. For medical students, improvements are necessary for the awareness of the first aid knowledge for seizure.