The Psychosocial Trauma of Epilepsy: Stigma, Social Isolation, and Patient Outcomes

Hassan, Ali. F.; Shlash, Ahmed Mohammed Jasim; Nadheer, Mohammad Basim; Alhashmi, Ali Alaa; Abdul-Jaleel, Mohammad K.; Mousa, Abbas. F.

doi:10.30491/tm.2026.596426.1982

The Psychosocial Trauma of Epilepsy: Stigma, Social Isolation, and Patient Outcomes

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Ali. F. Hassan ¹

Ahmed Mohammed Jasim Shlash ²

Mohammad Basim Nadheer ³

Ali Alaa Alhashmi ³

Mohammad K. Abdul-Jaleel ³

Abbas. F. Mousa ³

¹ Community Health Nursing Department, College of Nursing, University of Al-Ameed, Iraq

² Adults Health Nursing Department/ College of Nursing, University of Babylon, Iraq

³ Adults Health Nursing Department, College of Nursing, University of Al-Ameed, Iraq.

10.30491/tm.2026.596426.1982

Abstract

Introduction: 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
Method: 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.
Result: 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.
Conclusion: 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.

Keywords

Stigma

social isolation

psychosocial aspects

Subjects