Work-Related Injuries Among Epileptic Employees: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Background: Epilepsy is a non-communicable common neurological defect that can affect individuals of all ages. Working is essential for epileptic individuals; however, it can also be dangerous if proper measures are not put in place to minimize the risks of injury. It helps individuals become independent and contribute to society and can assist in improving the lives and self-worth of epileptic individuals. The study aims to know the linkage between epilepsy and injury at the workplace and its risk factors if it influences epileptic patients' lives. Moreover, types of epilepsy have the majority causing injury among employees. Our objective is to identify the relationship between epilepsy and injuries at the workplace, investigate the quality of life among them to ascertain the impact and risk factors that epilepsy caused, and identify which type of seizure is at higher risk of injury among employees. Method: According to the Arksey and O’Malley framework, we searched PubMed, Summon, and Ovid databases for English full-text articles published between 2005 and 2022 using search terms’ epilepsy' and ‘injury’ and ‘employee’ in the title. Results: Our study contains eight articles included in our review as they meet the criteria; four focus on epilepsy and injury, and the other focus on epilepsy and the workplace. Conclusion: People with epilepsy (PWE) has a higher unemployment rate because of the incidence of accidents at the workplace. Fear of having seizures during work time which is a significant effect on epileptic individuals' work state. Employers and Co-employers at the workplace have a negative attitude toward epilepsy, which further isolates PWE. Some injuries and ignorance to deal with it can prevent the patient from having a normal life.