Assessment of Health-Related Quality of Life of Epileptic Patients within the Indian Population at a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital

Abstract

Background: Epilepsy is one of the most limiting chronic disorders. There is a notable social stigma attached to epilepsy and is often associated with a decline in the overall quality of life of affected patients. It is crucial to identify and manage factors that affect the health-related quality of life of an epileptic patient and plan therapy to improve the same.  Aim: The study aimed to evaluate the health-related quality of life in individuals with epilepsy and examine the various factors influencing the same.  Materials and Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted in the general medicine wards of a tertiary care teaching hospital for six months. A total of 111 epileptic inpatients of both genders, above 18 years of age were included in the study. SF-36 questionnaire was used to assess the quality of life of the patients.  Results: The study found that multiple detrimental factors affect the quality of life of epileptic patients such as age, gender, marital and employment status, presence of comorbidities, seizure frequency, alcohol intake and duration of alcohol intake.  Conclusion: Management of epilepsy concerning these key factors is just as essential as lowering the stigma surrounding the disease in India.