Stigma on Nigerian children living with epilepsy

The stigma on Nigerian children (aged 6-18 year) living with epilepsy attending the Pediatric Neurology Clinic in Calabar was studied. The survey was conducted between September 2010 and February 2011 on children having established epilepsy and was attending the Neurology Clinic of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar. A questionnaire with open-ended responses was drawn up and administered on the epileptic children. Information was collected from the children privately in the absence of the parents. The children were interviewed by the authors and the data recorded into the form by the latter. Forty percent of the children reported being regarded as demon-possessed, some were said to be mad and suffering under a family curse. Sixty percent of the children claimed being made objects of ridicule. Fifty percent of the children would wish to withdraw from school while 46% would change school because of embarrassment. Fifty-six percent knew that friends and schoolmates usually run away from them during attacks, 29.4% claim their teachers will not help but only watch them while fitting at school. Twenty-four percent of the victims, all in the age bracket 12-18 yrs, expressed suicide wish. Stigma associated with epilepsy is a problem of children in Calabar. Education of parents and the entire populace is advocated as this could change the society's misconception of epilepsy.