Discourse through Photovoice: “Lived experience” of epilepsy

¹ Vilniaus Kolegija/University of applied sciences, Vytautas Magnus University, Vilnius, Lithuania
² Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to help medical students during the interaction of people with epilepsy, to learn more about “lived experience”, and find out more about patients' voices. People with epilepsy sometimes disincline to talk about their problems because of stigmatization. Stigmatization of epilepsy determines diminished self-esteem, depression, anxiety for the future and low quality of life [1]. Methodology—photovoice is a qualitative method that combines pictures and narratives in exploring “ived experience” of people with epilepsy, patients' and students' voices. Photovoice project was conducted in processing steps considering Luo (2016). The research members included people with epilepsy and medical students who were divided into 8 groups. The duration of the project was 6 weeks and after the project exhibition was arranged. Results. Voices of patients with epilepsy allow students to understand the discourse between insiders and outsiders, the differences between professional language and conversation among professionals.