Coping with Parkinson's disease and refractory epilepsy - A comparative study

Coping strategies and their correlations with demographic and illness relat ed data, depression, locus of control, and psychosocial adaptation were inv estigated in 45 patients with Parkinson's disease and 40 patients with intr actable epilepsy. Three standardized self-report questionnaires were applie d: the Freiburg Questionnaire of Coping with Illness (FKV), the von Zerssen Depression Scale (D-S), and the IPC-questionnaire measuring generalized lo cus of control beliefs. The Social interview Schedule (SIS), a semi-structu red interview, was used to measure psychosocial adaptation. Active, problem -focused and compliance strategies were predominantly used and regarded as most helpful in both groups of patients. Hence, Parkinson and epilepsy pati ents used similar coping patterns despite the strong dissimilarities of sym ptoms and illness-associated burdens. The level of depression was not signi ficantly different in both groups and in the range of other chronic somatic diseases. The use of coping patterns, which are regarded as maladaptive, w as correlated with distinct depression and a poor psychosocial adaption. In conclusion, no indications for illness-specific coping patterns were found in patients with Parkinson's disease and epilepsy. In both groups, certain coping strategies are associated with good and others with poor psychosoci al adjustment. These results indicate the possibility of improving psychoso cial adjustment by supporting effective strategies.