CONCEPT DESPRE STIGMATIZAREA PACIENŢILOR CU EPILEPSIE

Elena BOUNEGRU Universitatea de Stat de Medicină şi Farmacie „Nicolae Testemiţanu

Abstract

CONCEPT ABOUT THE STIGMATIZATION OF PATIENTS WITH EPILEPSY

Epilepsy is imposed as a major public health problem through its medical, social, cultural and economic consequences. The disease can have various effects on social and psychological well-being of patients. Therefore, dishonoring the community of patients with epilepsy represents an impact that forms the stigmatization of society. This phenomenon includes public stigma, and selfstigmatization in family stigma. Previous studies have shown that the number of patients with epilepsy that are stigmatized is much higher compared to other psychiatric diseases. The purpose of this study was to estimate the level of stigmatization in epileptic patients, assessing their emotional state. For these people the negative effects of stigma include: refusal to find out an efficient treatment, subjects are rejected by family and friends, problems in finding a job, etc. Keywords: epilepsy, stigmatization, self stigmatization, public stigma, family stigma.