Open AccessWomen’s Experiences with Epilepsy Treatment in Southern India: A Focused Ethnography
Author(s) -
Jane R. von Gaudecker,
Ann Gill Taylor,
Janice M. Buelow,
Sailas Benjamin,
Claire Burke Draucker
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
the qualitative report
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.335
H-Index - 35
ISSN - 2160-3715
DOI - 10.46743/2160-3715/2019.3481
Subject(s) - ethnography , epilepsy , participant observation , medicine , western medicine , alternative medicine , family medicine , health care , psychiatry , psychology , psychotherapist , sociology , social science , anthropology , political science , traditional chinese medicine , pathology , law
Women with epilepsy in rural southern India often do not receive anti-epilepsy drugs (AEDs) or take these drugs regularly, but little is known about how they experience the epilepsy treatment they do receive. The purpose of this study was to provide an in-depth description of the treatment experiences of women in this region who had been diagnosed with epilepsy but who do not consistently take AEDs. Focused ethnography was conducted using participant observation and in-depth interviews with six women with epilepsy, eight of their family members, and two traditional healers. The women’s treatment experiences are best described as living at the intersection of Western allopathic (“English”) medicine and traditional healing practices—approaches that could be complementary or conflicting. The women revealed a variety of perceived barriers to the use of “English” medicine. Health care professionals should appreciate the dynamic interplay of the two treatment approaches and consider all cultural, social, and economic factors that influence the women’s treatment experiences.