Psychosocial adjustment of people with epilepsy

Abstract

Children with epilepsy have a high incidence of psychological, behavioral and psychiatric problems that risk to adversely affect their quality of life. It appears that these problems persist in adulthood. This presentation addresses this issue within a Chinese cultural context. Fifty epileptic patients completed the Washington Psychosocial Inventory, the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations, and a questionnaire that assessed their psychosocial difficulties and coping styles. Social factors, such as self-perception and coping strategies, were more powerful predictors of psychosocial adjustment in people with epilepsy than the medical factors associated with epilepsy. The findings showed that psychosocial maladjustment is a significant issue for people with epilepsy in Hong Kong.