The attitude of medical students, resident doctors, and nurses toward people with epilepsy: A multi-centre study

The rising incidence of epilepsy has not been accompanied by sufficient public education, contributing to persistent social stigma towards people with epilepsy. This stigma leads to their exclusion and discrimination in key areas such as employment, education, and social interactions, ultimately diminishing their quality of life. This study aimed to assess the attitudes of medical students, resident doctors, and nurses toward people with epilepsy in three large cities in Indonesia.

A cross-sectional multi-centre study was conducted in Jakarta, Manado, and Banda Aceh between June 2020 to January 2021 in three tertiary hospitals. Subjects were medical students, resident doctors, and nurses, aged over 18 years, with no known history of epilepsy. Sociodemographic characteristics were recorded, and attitude was assessed using the validated Indonesian version of the Public Attitudes Toward Epilepsy questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis with post-hoc pairwise Mann-Whitney U comparison.

The findings revealed that most respondents held positive attitudes in both the general and personal domains. However, negative perceptions persisted on more personal topics, particularly regarding dating and marriage with people who have epilepsy. Sociodemographic characteristics that correlated with attitudes toward individuals with epilepsy included centre, sex, educational level, occupation, and ethnicity.

Despite overall positive attitudes, certain stigmatizing beliefs remain, particularly in personal areas such as marriage and relationships. These findings highlight the need for targeted educational interventions to address persistent misconceptions and reduce stigma, ultimately improving the social inclusion and quality of life for people with epilepsy in Indonesia.