Prevalence and Characteristics of Domestic Violence in People with Epilepsy in Thailand

Background: People with epilepsy (PWE) are at risk of domestic violence; either towards others or being the victim. Objectives: This study surveyed the prevalence of violence problems in people with epilepsy (PWE) and the characteristics of violence and possible health outcomes. Methods: There were 350 PWE treated at Khon Kaen University, Srinagarind Hospital’s epilepsy clinic who were enrolled. Data were collected from January 2013 to July 2013 by self questionnaires from 350 persons providing epilepsy reliability by Cronbach’s alpha at 0.86. Results: There were 206 females (59.7%) and 141 males (40.3%) with the mean age of 37.1 years (range 18 to 85 years). The prevalence of violence towards others was 51.4% (180 patients), and being the victim of violence was 40.0% (140 patients). There was a significant correlation between being the recipient of violence and being the perpetrator (r = 0.58, P < 0.001). Conclusions: The prevalence of domestic violence in PWE is high and has negative consequences on the individual, family, and community.