Inverse relationship between stigma and quality of life in India: Is epilepsy a disabling neurological condition?

•Stigma was prevalent in 42.30% of PWEs, with decreased self-esteem in 18.71%.•Strong correlation (0.018) between stigma and disability was evident.•Mild disability was found in 46.62% of patients, and 23.08% had severe disability (IDEAS).•Stigma (SSE) significantly correlated with quality of life (DAQ) (0.019*).•An increase in SSE scores led to an increase in DAQ and IDEAS scores.

ObjectiveStigma associated with epilepsy has negative effects on psychosocial outcomes, affecting quality of life (QOL) and increasing disease burden in persons with epilepsy (PWEs). The aim of our study was to measure the impact of stigma on the QOL of PWEs and the prevalence of neurological disability due to stigmatized epilepsy.MethodA prospective observational study with a sample of 208 PWEs was conducted. Neuropsychological Tests used were the Indian Disability Evaluation Assessment Scale (IDEAS) to measure disability, the Dysfunctional Analysis Questionnaire (DAQ) to measure QOL, and the Stigma Scale for Epilepsy (SSE) to assess stigma.ResultsSpearman correlation was calculated, and stigma (SSE) was highly significant with QOL (DAQ) (0.019) and disability due to stigmatized epilepsy (IDEAS) (0.011).ConclusionThe present study supports the global perception of stigma associated with epilepsy and its negative impact on their overall QOL and its contribution to the escalation of the disease burden.