Epilepsy in Mexico: A Network Disease Beyond Seizures and its Impact on the Patient
Keywords:
Epilepsy, public health in Mexico, diagnosis, stigma, primary healthcare, barriers to careAbstract
Despite being a universally recognised condition, epilepsy in Mexico remains a clinical and social dilemma, often overlooked amidst emerging public health priorities. Discredited by a legacy of persistent beliefs, the condition is obscured by outdated interpretations and stigmas that hinder not only early recognition but also ongoing intervention—a challenge exacerbated for healthcare professionals by the overlap of symptoms with other disorders and the lack of defined care pathways. This diagnostic uncertainty is exacerbated by a chronic shortage of resources and lack of accessibility, making specialised care and medication unsustainable in the long term for many families in the country. This results in a common environment where academic, occupational and social exclusion are the norm; the emotional and financial cost of this condition grows silently until it becomes intolerable and leads to a decline in mental health, whilst institutional care barely scratches the surface of a problem that is not immediately apparent.
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