Stigma is associated with health conditions that drive disease burden in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), including HIV, tuberculosis, mental health problems, epilepsy, and substance use disorders. However, the literature discussing the relationship between stigma and health outcomes is largely fragmented within disease-specific siloes, thus limiting the identification of common moderators or mechanisms through which stigma potentiates adverse health outcomes as well as the development of broadly relevant stigma mitigation interventions. We conducted a scoping review to provide a critical overview of the breadth of research on stigma for each of the five aforementioned conditions in LMICs, including their methodological strengths and limitations. Across the range of diseases and disorders studied, stigma is associated with poor health outcomes, including help- and treatment-seeking behaviors. Common methodological limitations include a lack of prospective studies, non-representative samples resulting in limited generalizability, and a dearth of data on mediators and moderators of the relationship between stigma and health outcomes. Implementing effective stigma mitigation interventions at scale necessitates transdisciplinary longitudinal studies that examine how stigma potentiates the risk for adverse outcomes for high-burden health conditions in community-based samples in LMICs.

/pdf/a-scoping-review-of-health-related-stigma-outcomes-for-high-48zsaeqjrw.pdf

A scoping review of health-related stigma outcomes for high-burden diseases in low- and middle-income countries

Purpose The purpose of the present study was to compare depression and QoL between patients with epilepsy and healthy controls, evaluating potentially related factors to depression and QoL in patients with epilepsy in Northwest Greece. Methods A case study was conducted in adult patients with epilepsy followed up at the University Hospital of Ioannina and in healthy controls. The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) for depression’s severity evaluation, the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire for the QoL estimation and the Adverse Event Profile (AEP) questionnaire for the Antiepileptic Drugs (AEDs) adverse effects assessment were used. Results Seventy patients with epilepsy and 70 controls were recruited. The PHQ-9 score was higher in patients compared to controls and slightly higher than reported in patients with epilepsy. PHQ-9 was significantly associated with the AEP score. Our patients had a poorer QoL compared to controls. The level of education, the AEP and the PHQ-9 scores were associated to QoL, the last two being the most powerful predictors of QoL. Conclusion Patients with epilepsy in Northwest Greece had higher rates of depression than reported in patients with epilepsy and poorer QoL compared to controls. The adverse effects of AEDs were related to depression in our study, while the adverse effects of AEDs and depression were more powerful predictors of QoL compared to demographics and other characteristics of epilepsy.

Depression and quality of life in patients with epilepsy in Northwest Greece.

http://www.cell.com/article/S2405844022023611/pdf

Anti-seizure medications and quality of life in person with epilepsy

Epilepsy stigma in the Republic of Guinea and its socioeconomic and clinical associations: A cross-sectional analysis

Background: Epileptic seizure is a neurological condition in which brief to long episodes of vigorous shaking, convulsions, blackouts, fainting, unresponsiveness, jerks, etc. occur in the patients. Current treatment approaches are anti-seizure medicines, which patients are bound to take throughout life. These medications are mostly not able to reverse or eradicate the condition. 
Purpose: As per the classical texts of Ayurveda, Apasmara is a disease that has similar symptoms as those found in epilepsy; it is of four types wherein either one of the three Doshas, i.e. Vata, Pitta, and Kapha, is predominantly vitiated, or there is an imbalance of all the three Doshas. Hence, the medicinal herbs that balance the respective doshas, are used in the Ayurvedic treatment of epileptic seizures. Various plant extracts or their derivatives have been found to be effective in the treatment of epilepsy. Yagya Therapy provides pulmonary inhalation of medicinal smoke of multiple herbs (generated through oblation in fire along with chanting of Vedic hymns), which have the potential for seizure treatment.
Methods: A case report about a male patient, who was suffering from epileptic seizures since past 13 years, as well as other associated ailments has been presented in this article. The patient was prescribed an integrated approach including Yagya Therapy (using an appropriate herbal formulation - hawan samagri), and some other Ayurvedic treatments like decoction of medicinal herbs, Ayurvedic medicines, dietary restrictions, etc.
Results: Before starting the integrated approach including Yagya Therapy, the patient used to experience seizure episodes, at least once every 7 to 10 days; however, after starting the integrated approach, the patient did not experience any seizure episode up to his second visit, i.e. for about 54 days. He also experienced relief in other associated ailments like vibration in the entire body.
Conclusion: The integrated approach including Yagya Therapy showed encouraging results with regards to the treatment of epileptic seizures and other associated ailments.

/pdf/management-of-epileptic-seizures-through-an-integrated-iqyjyrz70r.pdf

Management of Epileptic Seizures through an Integrated Approach including Yagya Therapy

Background: Apart from unpredictable seizures and consequent injuries, people with epilepsy (PWE) confront with psychosocial adjustments. Quality of life (QOL) varies with culture and socioeconomic milieu. Identification of predictors for QOL enables comprehensive and effective care. Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the role of stigma, demographic, socioeconomic, and clinical factors in QOL among PWE. Subjects and Methods: In this prospective observational study, 170 PWE answered QOL in epilepsy-31 (QOLIE-31) and stigma questionnaire. Internal consistency of instruments was evaluated by Cronbach's alpha and reproducibility by intracorrelation coefficient (ICC). Descriptive statistics were calculated, and predictors were identified by regression analysis. Results: Mean age of the PWE was 34.39 ± 11.49. Cronbach's alpha and ICC of the QOLIE-31 were 0.946 and 0.974 and stigma scale was 0.903 and 0.954, respectively. Mean total QOL was 60.29 ± 14.12. Highest and lowest scores of subscales of QOL were observed in medication effects and social functioning. Mean stigma score of PWE was 22.21 ± 14.64. Majority of PWE had mild stigma (75%) followed by moderate (22%) and high stigma (1%). Stigma score correlated with total and subscales of QOL (P < 0.01). Statistically significant decrease in scores of total and subscales of QOL was observed in high and moderate stigma when compared to mild stigma (P < 0.01). Stigma (standardized beta coefficient = −0.652, P< 0.00) and polytherapy (standardized beta coefficient = −0.180, P< 0.02) were found to be the significant predictors of QOL. Significant decrease in total and subscale scores of QOL was observed in PWE under polytherapy when compared to monotherapy and also in seizure frequent against seizure-free PWE (P < 0.01). Conclusions: Besides control of seizures, encouragement of monotherapy and destigmatization campaigns may improve the QOL of PWE.

Stigma and Polytherapy: Predictors of Quality of Life in Patients with Epilepsy from South India.

Objectives: Assessment of quality of life (QOL) reveals the impact of diseases and factors responsible for the impairment of quality of life. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the QOL among adolescents with epilepsy (AWE) in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Materials and Methods: One hundred and fifty AWE aged 13–19 years were evaluated for QOL using the Telugu version of the Quality of Life in Epilepsy Inventory for Adolescents (QOLIE) AD-48 and the data were analyzed to predict the factors responsible for determining the QOL. Results: The mean age of AWE was 15.86 ± 2.14 years. The age at onset of seizures among AWE was 9.28 ± 4.90 years. Generalized (45%) and partial seizures (34%) were the predominant types of seizures. The majority of AWE (77%) were taking anti epileptic medication for 1–8 years, were on monotherapy (55%), and were seizure free for the last 1 year (56%). The mean total QOL score in AWE was 72 ± 15. The high school-educated, seizure-free, and monotherapy-taking AWEs showed a significantly higher mean total QOL when compared to the primary school- educated, seizure-frequent, and polytherapy-taking AWEs (P Conclusions: The results of the study suggest that in addition to seizure control, encouraging monotherapy and enhancing the education level may improve the QOL in AWE.

Predictors of quality of life among adolescents with epilepsy in the state of Andhra Pradesh

Handle everyday research tasks with reliable, citation-backed results

Your personal Research Agent to handle research tasks with citation-backed results

Popular Tasks used by Researchers

How can I help with your research?

Meet SciSpace

Get more enhanced response by uploading the PDFs you want me to reference.

No relevant PDFs in your library

SciSpace is the AI research assistant for academics. Run systematic literature reviews on 280M+ papers, and write papers with cited sources. Trusted by 1M+ students, PhDs & researchers.

SciSpace | AI for Research

Analyze PDFs

Code & Manuscripts

Funding & Grants

Literature & Patents

Medical & Clinical Data

Systematic Review

Visualize & Present

Web & Data

Build a Google Scholar-like website for your research.

Build a website

Create charts and images for your research

Create a Chart

Write a paper for submission to a journal

Draft a manuscript

Patent Search

Design eye-catching scientific posters in minutes.

Scientific Poster Generation

Systematic Literature Review

One task is running at the moment. Your messages will be shown right after.

Drag and drop or click here to browse

Loved by <highlight>1 million+</highlight> researchers

Extract a list of specific topics and their sources from unstructured text

Topics

Compare and analyze relevant papers that matches with your search

Papers

Get insights from PDFs and bookmarked papers from your library

My library

Recent searches

Try searching for:

Catch AI-generated content in scholarly and non-scholarly content

{ai} Detector

Ai Writer

Get PDF Summaries, highlighted text explanations 

Chat with PDF

Effortlessly create in-text citations and bibliographies in APA and 2,500 other formats

Citation generator

Get explanations, summaries, and answers on academic papers

Ease up your research workflow with {scispace}'s cohort of exciting AI tools

Elevate your academic writing skills and convey your ideas the way you want

Paraphraser

Explore our range of reading and writing tools

Your file is being prepared and should be ready in a few minutes. If it's a large file, it might take a bit longer. You can close this window, and we'll email you the file when it's done.

You have reached a maximum limit of <strong>{limit}</strong> columns in the table. Remove at least <strong>1</strong> column to add or create another one.

B Shalini

Author Tools

Chat about Author

Papers

Stigma and Polytherapy: Predictors of Quality of Life in Patients with Epilepsy from South India.

Predictors of quality of life among adolescents with epilepsy in the state of Andhra Pradesh