Stigma, attitude, and knowledge of epilepsy in Italy: A survey on 1159 subjects
Epilepsy is often associated with negative attitudes that can affect the well-being of people living with the condition. In this study, we surveyed adults across Italy to understand how epilepsy is perceived, how much people know about seizure first aid, and how stigma varies across different groups. We found that stigma remains common, especially among women and people living in Southern Italy, while better knowledge of how to help during a seizure was linked to lower stigma. These results highlight the importance of public education to improve understanding, safety, and social inclusion.
Authors
- Federico Tosto (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1802-8840)
- Marina Romozzi
- Vincenzo Trigila
- Sonia Di Tella (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7315-1131)
- Davide Chiffi
- Lapo Sbrenna
- Raffaele Turano
- Luigi Francesco Iannone
- Mario Tombini
- Paolo Calabresi
- Flavia Bianchi
- Giovanni Assenza
Institutions
- Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (IT)
- University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (IT)
- Università Campus Bio-Medico (IT)
- Agostino Gemelli University Polyclinic (IT)
- University of Catania (IT)
- European University of Rome (IT)
- Campus Bio Medico University Hospital (IT)
- Sapienza University of Rome (IT)
- University of Bologna (IT)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Epilepsia Open
- Published
- 2026-02-05
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/epi4.70225
- Primary Topic
- Epilepsy research and treatment
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00