[The illness experience of women with epilepsy in a Taiwanese cultural context]

The purpose of this study was to explore in a Taiwanese cultural context and on the basis of analysis of narrative data the illness experience of women with epilepsy and their interpretation of life after being diagnosed with epilepsy. The narrative data were obtained by in-depth interviews of ten women with epilepsy. The theme of "comparing oneself with others" emerged. Both the social stigma of epilepsy and the cultural ideology of women were identified as major issues of their life world, their interpretation revealing the suffering caused by others' social perspectives on such a stigmatized disease and their own feelings of not fulfilling the woman's role. As the research findings indicate, the women not only faced epilepsy itself, but also substantial stress from Chinese traditional culture's demand that women produce a male family heir, and from the social stereotype attached to epilepsy. The researcher recommends that these cultural impacts be incorporated into nursing assessment and treatment practices.