Gender differences in concerns about planning to have children and child-rearing among patients with epilepsy: A prospective, multicenter study with 477 patients from Germany

Mann, Catrin; Süß, Annika; Podewils, Felix von; Zahnert, Felix; Langenbruch, Lisa; Bierhansl, Laura; Menzler, Katja; Schulz, Juliane; Gaida, Bernadette; Rosenow, Felix; Strzelczyk, Adam

doi:10.1016/j.yebeh.2022.108650

Cited by 9 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…This investigation is based on data made available by the Epi2020 study, a large, multicenter, questionnaire-based study performed in late 2020 that was focused on different aspects of healthcare in adults with epilepsy in Germany [11][12][13][14][15]. PWE were recruited in outpatient care at four epilepsy centers that provide a full range of neurological care with expertise in epileptology and intensive care medicine.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on physical and mental health status and care of adults with epilepsy in Germany

Körbel

Rosenow

Maltseva

et al. 2022

Neurol. Res. Pract.

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Background To mitigate the potential consequences of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on public life, the German Federal Government and Ministry of Health enacted a strict lockdown protocol on March 16, 2020. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on physical and mental health status and the supply of medical care and medications for people with epilepsy (PWE) in Germany. Methods The Epi2020 study was a large, multicenter study focused on different healthcare aspects of adults with epilepsy. In addition to clinical and demographic characteristics, patients were asked to answer a questionnaire on the impact of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic between March and May 2020. Furthermore, the population-based number of epilepsy-related admissions in Hessen was evaluated for the January-June periods of 2017–2020 to detect pandemic-related changes. Results During the first wave of the pandemic, 41.6% of PWE reported a negative impact on their mental health, while only a minority reported worsening of their seizure situation. Mental and physical health were significantly more negatively affected in women than men with epilepsy and in PWE without regular employment. Moreover, difficulties in ensuring the supply of sanitary products (25.8%) and antiseizure medications (ASMs; 19.9%) affected PWE during the first lockdown; no significant difference regarding these impacts between men and women or between people with and without employment was observed. The number of epilepsy-related admissions decreased significantly during the first wave. Conclusions This analysis provides an overview of the general and medical care of epilepsy patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. PWE in our cohort frequently reported psychosocial distress during the first wave of the pandemic, with significant adverse effects on mental and physical health. Women and people without permanent jobs especially reported distress due to the pandemic. The COVID‐19 pandemic has added to the mental health burden and barriers to accessing medication and medical services, as self-reported by patients and verified in population-based data on hospital admissions. Trial registration German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS), DRKS00022024. Registered October 2, 2020, http://www.drks.de/DRKS00022024

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on physical and mental health status and care of adults with epilepsy in Germany

Körbel

Rosenow

Maltseva

et al. 2022

Neurol. Res. Pract.

Self Cite

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“…Moreover, they argued that the rates of stigmatization were similar to the studies conducted in Europe 16 years ago, and although there have been medical advances in epilepsy in the last 16 years, no progress has been achieved to reduce stigmatization (4). Whereas 39.8% stigma was observed in a study conducted in China in 2022, this rate increased to 62.4% in a study conducted in eastern Turkey (17,18). These patients, for whom stigma is significantly severe, are afraid of inheriting their disease through genetic transmission to their descendants.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Marriage and childbearing in patients with epilepsy in Turkey

Tokuç,

Genç,

Göksu

et al. 2024

Front. Neurol.

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IntroductionFor epilepsy, a common neurological disorder, brings psychosocial challenges like stigma, employment difficulties, and barriers to marriage and childbearing. Stigma often stems from misconceptions and societal beliefs, particularly in less developed regions like Turkey. However, research on the marital and childbearing experiences of epilepsy patients in such settings is limited. We aimed to research the marriage and childbearing behaviors of men and women with epilepsy.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study involving 215 adult epilepsy patients at Antalya Training and Research Hospital between 2019 and 2022. Patients were asked questions about marriage and having children on prepared questionnaires.ResultThe gender distribution of the 215 patients included in the study was revealed to be 62.3% (134) females and 37.7% (81) males. 71.6% of patients were married, and 12.7% had no children. 33.3% of these patients stated that they did not desire children because of the disease. A statistically significant correlation was observed between the duration of the disease and being unmarried. A significant correlation was observed between age at disease onset and number of children.ConclusionOur study revealed the effects of individuals with epilepsy on marriage and childbearing, and as we know, it is the first study conducted in Turkey on childbearing attitudes in individuals with epilepsy. Despite medical and social developments, epilepsy is still one of the most stigmatized diseases, and the disease has considerable negative effects on marriage and fertility. Our study supported the findings of a small number of previous similar studies on this subject and additionally showed that the likelihood of having children decreased in patients using multiple ASM, and on the other hand, it showed that marriage positively affected patients in terms of social support.

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Persistent knowledge gaps between 2005 and 2020 in women with epilepsy: Comparison of multicenter studies from Germany

Mann¹,

Zinger²,

Schmitz³

et al. 2022

Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy

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Gender differences in concerns about planning to have children and child-rearing among patients with epilepsy: A prospective, multicenter study with 477 patients from Germany

Cited by 9 publications

References 29 publications

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on physical and mental health status and care of adults with epilepsy in Germany

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on physical and mental health status and care of adults with epilepsy in Germany

Marriage and childbearing in patients with epilepsy in Turkey

Persistent knowledge gaps between 2005 and 2020 in women with epilepsy: Comparison of multicenter studies from Germany

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