Official Publication of the National Center for Trauma Research Trauma Monthly 2251-7464 31 4 2026 07 01 The Psychosocial Trauma of Epilepsy: Stigma, Social Isolation, and Patient Outcomes 1935 1943 253282 10.30491/tm.2026.596426.1982 EN Ali. F. Hassan Community Health Nursing Department, College of Nursing, University of Al-Ameed, Iraq Ahmed Mohammed Jasim Shlash Adults Health Nursing Department/ College of Nursing, University of Babylon, Iraq 0000-0003-2828-1003 Mohammad Basim Nadheer Adults Health Nursing Department, College of Nursing, University of Al-Ameed, Iraq. Ali Alaa Alhashmi Adults Health Nursing Department, College of Nursing, University of Al-Ameed, Iraq. Mohammad K. Abdul-Jaleel Adults Health Nursing Department, College of Nursing, University of Al-Ameed, Iraq. Abbas. F. Mousa Adults Health Nursing Department, College of Nursing, University of Al-Ameed, Iraq. Journal Article 2026 08 10 <strong><span>Introduction: </span></strong><span>Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder that has an impact on a person's social and psychological health. Social stigma and isolation are major psychosocial traumas affecting mental health, quality of life, and social participation. These factors critically influence mental health, quality of life, and social participation, yet they remain underrecognized in routine clinical care. This study aimed to (1) assess the effects of psychosocial factors—specifically stigma and social isolation—on patients with epilepsy, and (2) examine the association between patients' demographic and clinical characteristics and their psychosocial outcomes</span> <strong><span>Method: </span></strong><span>A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from 16/5/2024 to 20/10/2024, using purposive non-probability sampling to select 100 patients with epilepsy from the Middle Euphrates Neurological Center in Najaf Governorate, Iraq.</span> <strong><span>Result: </span></strong><span>Most participants were male, aged 20 to 30 years, married, and illiterate; disease onset was at age 21 or older; most were non-smokers; and the pathology was idiopathic. Lastly, overall psychosocial aspects of the patients with stigma were at a moderate level and a severe level according to social isolation, so the overall effect of psychological aspects was at a moderate level psychosocially.</span> <strong><span>Conclusion<span dir="RTL" lang="FA">: </span></span></strong><span lang="FA"><span> </span></span><span>Patients with epilepsy experience considerable psychosocial trauma, with moderate levels of stigma and severe social isolation. These findings emphasize the urgent need to combine routine psychosocial assessment and trauma-informed supportive interventions into epilepsy care to improve patients' overall well-being and clinical outcomes.</span> https://www.traumamon.com/article_253282_4ac13e23aea77450a582bd8e5b9000cc.pdf