Abstracts

To evaluate the experience of treating people with epilepsy, and the formal training, attitudes and knowledge in relation to epilepsy (and associated mental disorders) of Brazilian psychiatrists. 157 Brazilian psychiatrists responded to a specially developed questionnaire consisting of 14 questions related to epilepsy and associated mental disturbances: two questions about their experience treating people with epilepsy, three questions about formal training, one question about the satisfaction about their knowledge, two questions on prejudice and three questions testing knowledge. The majority of Brazilian psychiatrists completing the questionnaire (95%) have treated patients with epilepsy and mental disorders, (48% frequently). About one third (35%) considered they did not receive any formal training on epilepsy and only 46% confirmed that they have received formal training on mental disorders related to epilepsy. Eighty percent were dissatisfied with their own knowledge and 98% of those who had not already received any formal training wished to do so. Only 10% of the participants answered correctly the three knowledge-based questions and 60% answered wrongly at least two out of the three questions, showing a significant lack of knowledge. Nearly half (48%) considered that prejudice exists among psychiatrists toward patients with epilepsy. These professionals indicated difficulty with treatment (50%) and lack of knowledge on epilepsy (50%) as being the main causes for this. Such data indicates an urgent need of improvement in the area of education about epilepsy and associated mental disorders and formal training on epilepsy during psychiatric residency.