The characteristics of social adaptation in reproductive-aged women with epilepsy and migraine

Abstract

Objective: to study and comparatively analyze the characteristics of social adaptation in reproductive-aged women with epilepsy and migraine in order to determine the social burden of the two most common neurological diseases.Patients and methods. The present study is a continuation of a prospective observational uncontrolled study of the adverse effects of antiepileptic drugs on the reproductive health of epilepsy women, which has been conducted since 2015 according to Russian Foundation for Basic Research (RFBR) Grant No. 16-15-00281 and since 2018 according to RFBR Grant No. 18-013-00222. There are data on the comparative characteristics of social adaptation indicators in reproductive-aged women with epilepsy (n = 155) and migraine (n = 99). Results and discussion. The reproductive-aged women with epilepsy were found to have a high educational level (only 7% had no secondary specialized or higher education). The unemployed were 30%; the disabled people were 23%. Migraine is more common in working women with a high educational level, has no disabling effect, but considerably reduces social activity and causes high unemployment rates. The severity of the main burden of neurological diseases is determined by medical and social indicators. Not only patients' health records, but also social adaptation, the indicators of which are criteria for treatment efficiency should be taken into consideration when evaluating the latter for epilepsy andmigraine.

Keywords

• epilepsy
• migraine
• female epilepsy
• reproductive age
• social adaptation
• education
• employment
• disability