Knowledge and attitudes about epilepsy of neurology outpatients in Türkiye

We aimed to evaluate the level of epilepsy-related knowledge and attitude among neurology outpatients without an epilepsy diagnosis.

The Epilepsy Knowledge and Attitude Scale was applied to 331 adult patients who were evaluated with various diagnoses in the neurology outpatient clinic.

The participants comprised 331 people, 51.4% of whom were women and 48.6% of whom were men. The knowledge and attitude values increase significantly as the education level of our participants increased (p < 0.001). The knowledge and attitude scores of those who knew about an individual with epilepsy were significantly higher (p < 0.001). Attitude scale scores were higher in patients diagnosed with headache, multiple sclerosis, syncope, Behçet's disease, essential tremor and sleep disorders compared with other groups.

This study focused on a subgroup of adults without epilepsy who had other neurological conditions. The findings may illuminate the critical role of education and public awareness in fostering more positive attitudes toward individuals with epilepsy, reducing stigma, and facilitating their social integration.