PSYCHOSOCIAL OUTCOME OF YOUNG-ADULTS WITH EPILEPSY IN CHILDHOOD

Objective-To evaluate social maturation and psychiatric morbidity in y oung adults treated for epilepsy during their childhood. Methods-Eight y one young adults (43 women, 38 men, mean age 22.3 years) with, epile psy during their childhood were interviewed about their social develop ment and psychiatric symptoms. The results were compared with those fr om 211 randomly selected controls (106 women, 105 men, mean age 23.2 y ears). Results-Compared with the controls the patients had more often not succeeded in passing the normal comprehensive school (20% v 2%) or had left school at the secondary level (53% v 46%) and remained witho ut any vocational education (27% v 11%). There was no significant diff erence in the employment status of those with work between the patient s and the control!,. The patients were significantly more often labell ed with poor social maturation and dependent lifestyle factors such as Living with their parents. However, risk analysis showed that neither the disease itself nor antiepileptic medication were significant pred isposing factors for poor social adjustment but low or borderline ment al capacity or learning disabilities relating to epilepsy were. Psychi atric morbidity was similar in both groups. Conclusions-The social han dicap found in gi certain group of young adults with epilepsy during c hildhood is largely associated with neurological and cognitive impairm ents other than epilepsy itself. With the present mode of treatment ep ilepsy itself does not seem to disturb adolescent social and psycholog ical development.