Psycho-educational therapy among Nigerian adult patients with epilepsy: a controlled outcome study

Psychological interventions in relation to epilepsy are worthy of empirical investigation since there is broad agreement that the psyche-social proble ms of epilepsy are often more disabling than the seizure attacks. The prese nt study using a controlled outcome design evaluated the efficacy of a 2-da y psyche-educational program among patients with epilepsy in Nigeria. The p syche-educational program is the consequence of a two-stage study design, w hich set out to identify and evaluate psyche-social factors that determine interictal psychopathology in people with epilepsy. Thirty out-patients mat ched according to seizure type and frequency of seizures were randomly assi gned to treatment (n = 15) or waiting-list control in = 15) groups, The maj or outcome measures used were knowledge about illness schedule, the Becks d epression inventory and the Crown-Crisp experiential index. Significant dif ferences between the two groups were found on the three major scales used. The treatment group by within-group analyses, showed a substantial signific ant decrease in level of depression, a significant increase in the knowledg e about epilepsy as well as a significant decrease in all measures of neuro tic disorders except for hysterical sub-scale. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ir eland Ltd. All rights reserved.