A comparative study of social distance toward epilepsy and mental health conditions in Japan.

AIM: This study aimed to identify factors influencing perceived social distance from epilepsy, depression, panic disorder, and schizophrenia in Japan, with a focus on informing targeted stigma-reduction strategies.

METHODS

We conducted face-to-face interviews with 103 participants, gathering data on sociodemographic factors, attitudes using the Japanese version of the Scales of Attitudes toward People with Epilepsy (SAPE-J), and perceived social distance via visual analog scales (VASs). To identify significant predictors for each condition, we applied multiple linear regression analyses and rigorously validated the models through diagnostic checks.

RESULTS

Our analysis revealed that epilepsy was perceived as the most distant condition (M = 6.11), while depression was perceived as the closest (M = 4.03). We identified distinct predictors for each condition: belief in epilepsy's treatability had a marginally significant effect (β = 0.203, p = 0.064), higher education was strongly associated with reduced perceived social distance for depression (β = -0.283, p = 0.006), and witnessing an epileptic seizure significantly increased perceived social distance for panic disorder (β = 0.285, p = 0.012) and schizophrenia (β = 0.298, p = 0.011).

CONCLUSION

We demonstrate that perceptions of social distance are condition-specific and shaped by unique factors, such as beliefs, education, and personal experiences. We advocate for tailored stigma-reduction approaches, emphasizing the treatability of epilepsy and addressing misconceptions about unpredictability in mental health conditions. Our findings provide a foundation for fostering social inclusion and advancing public understanding of these conditions.