Evaluation of socio-economic factors causing discontinuation of epilepsy treatment resulting in seizure recurrence: A study in an urban epilepsy clinic in India

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The prevalence rate of epilepsy in India ranges between 4.15 and 7.03 per 1000 population. In the developing countries, the major problems of epilepsy are lying in the treatment gap and discontinuation of treatment due to various adverse socio-economic factors. The objective of this study was to evaluate the rate of discontinuation of epilepsy treatment and its related socio-economic factors responsible for discontinuation. MATERIAL AND METHODS Among 1450 patients with epilepsy who were recurrently followed up at an intervals of 2 months from 05 January to 06 January; 620 patients discontinued their treatment. Among them 88.7% patient had breakthrough seizures for more than in two occasions. Socio-economic factors in respect to the treatment were evaluated during the follow-up period vis-a-vis income and expenditure, unemployment status, negative attitude towards medical treatment, non-availability of drugs locally, co-morbid psychiatric and other illnesses, polytherapy and socialillusional thoughts about epilepsy. RESULTS Discontinuation of epilepsy treatment was detected in 42.75% (n = 620) of total patients resulting in recurrence of seizures. Reasons for discontinuation were multiple in most of the cases. The discontinued group had an average annual cost of treatment and income of Rs. 5500 ($110) and Rs. 12,800 ($256), respectively, amounting to 40% of their total income being expended for the cost of the treatment, while in continued group annual cost of treatment and income were Rs. 4500 ($ = 90) and Rs. 24,400 ($ = 580) respectively amounting to only 18% of the total income (p < 0.001) for the cost of treatment. Among the discontinued group, 90% of the patients reported the cost factors, 29.09% due to the unemployment, 20% from the frustration and despair, 20.09% due to non-availability of medicines locally, 17.27% spiritual illusional thoughts about epilepsy, 10% for marital disharmony were the causes for discontinuation of treatment. In the discontinued group, 10% got polytherapy against 9.03% in the continued group (p > 0.01), co-morbid psychiatric illnesses were observed in 4.54% against 3.25% in the continued group (p > 0.10). CONCLUSION The study showed a significant number of patients (42.75%) discontinued epilepsy treatment within 1 year due to poor knowledge regarding the problem of discontinuation, cost and income disparity, unemployment, spiritual illusional thoughts about epilepsy, frustration and mental impairment, lack of uniform availability of drugs in local market. To tide these shortcomings, uniform availability of cheaper antiepileptic drugs with adequate information and communication regarding the disease and upliftment of socio-economic status are to be ensured.