Background

People experiencing homelessness are up to eight times more likely to have epilepsy than the general population. Both homelessness and epilepsy carry high risks of stigma, mental health problems, and barriers to healthcare. Despite this, little research has explored how epilepsy specifically affects the daily lives of people who are homeless.

Research

This study was conducted in the Homeless Epilepsy Service in a major teaching hospital in Dublin that has run a service for 8 years. The research compared 13 homeless adults with epilepsy to 49 housed adults with epilepsy in Dublin. Researchers used questionnaires to measure mental health, quality of life, stigma, and epilepsy knowledge, alongside open-ended questions to capture lived experiences. The homeless group showed higher levels of anxiety, depression, and stigma, and reported an emotional burden, lack of information, and lost opportunities in work and education. However, controlling for psychiatric problems the homeless adults with epilepsy had similar quality of life.

Potential Impact

The findings show that psychiatric symptoms and stigma are key challenges for homeless people with epilepsy, more than seizure control itself. Tailored, holistic care—including mental health support and better information sharing—could improve their quality of life. It also demonstrated that it is possible to manage other aspects like seizure control and knowledge of epilepsy with a  targeted service for this often disenfranchised group.