PSYCHOPATHOLOGY AND FAMILY FUNCTIONING IN MOTHERS WITH EPILEPSY

In a prospective comparative study of children born to mothers with ep ilepsy and to healthy controls, maternal psychopathology, family funct ioning and the effects of maternal psychopathology and family function ing on child mental status were investigated. The instruments used wer e the Present State Examination (PSE), the Past History Schedule (PHS) , a psychiatric interview for preschool children and a structured inte rview about family functioning. Interviewers were blind to the clinica l status of the mother. The group of mothers with epilepsy differed fr om the control group only regarding a higher prevalence of minor psych opathology and in 1 of 4 areas of family functioning. There was no dif ference between mothers with epilepsy and the control group regarding major psychopathology, and almost no differences regarding family func tioning. The effect of maternal psychopathology on child mental status was mediated by disturbed family functioning only in the epilepsy gro up.