Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on drug compliance and stigmatization in patients with epilepsy

OBJECTIVE: Pandemics like coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) bring along many individual and social problems. We aimed to investigate what changes the COVID-19 pandemic can cause in patients with epilepsy on drug compliance and stigmatization. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Modified Morisky Scale (MMS) and stigmatization scales were used between October and November 2019 to assess drug compliance and stigmatization in epilepsy patients. These scales were renewed in June and July 2020 in the same patient group to assess the impact of the epidemic on drug compliance and stigmatization in patients with epilepsy. Statistical analysis was performed using the statistical software SPSS 17.0 for Windows (SPSS, Inc). Demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients were recorded in SPSS. The interviews were conducted during the interictal period. Paired-samples t-test was used to compare the stigma scale results of epilepsy patients before and during COVID-19. The Wilcoxon test was used to compare MMS groups before and during COVID-19. RESULTS: A total of 110 patients were included in the study. There was no significant difference between the pre-pandemic and pandemic period in epilepsy stigma scale used to evaluate stigmatization levels in patients. During the pandemic period, it was observed that patients had higher motivation and higher knowledge than before the pandemic (p = 0.048). There were seven patients (6.4%) whose seizure frequency increased during the pandemic period. There were two patients (1.8%) who had difficulty in accessing drugs during the pandemic period. In multivariate analysis, only parameter that predicted an increase in seizure frequency was the number of drugs used In the of COVID-19 period. In correlation analysis, a negative correlation was found between the stigma total score during COVID-19 period and education level. CONCLUSION: A slight increase in the frequency of seizures was observed in our patients during the pandemic period, and no significant problem was experienced in accessing drugs. The COVID-19 pandemic made patients more motivated and informed in drug compliance in the patient group and had no effect on stigmatization.