Understanding and management of epilepsy in a rural community in South Africa: An exploratory study

Abstract

The aim of the study was to explore how people living with epilepsy in an indigenous rural South African community understood and managed their epilepsy. Six people with epilepsy were informants (male = 3, female = 3; age range = 16 to 58 years, unemployed = 5, learner = 1). They completed individual interviews on their meanings of epilepsy and also on their experiences managing the illness. The results indicated that the participants’ understanding of epilepsy is closely linked to their own experiences of the condition, as well as to cultural beliefs about seizure disorder. Moreover, they reported that the unpredictability associated with a seizure generated a greater level of distress to the participants than the fact that they had seizure disorder. The participants reported to rely on family, and both traditional and Western medicine to manage their epilepsy.