Psychosocial adjustment of people with epilepsy in Hong Kong

Purpose: In light of the issues associated with the psychosocial adjustment of people with epilepsy that have been widely reported, this study examine d these issues within a Chinese cultural context. Methods: Fifty patients with epilepsy completed The Washington Psychosocial Inventory, the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations, and a questionna ire that assessed their psychosocial difficulties and coping styles. Multip le regression procedure was used to examine the strength of various medical and social factors in predicting the psychosocial adjustment problems of t hese participants. Results: Social factors, such as self-perception and coping strategies, wer e more powerful predictors of psychosocial adjustment in people with epilep sy than the medical factors associated with epilepsy. Conclusions: These findings showed that psychosocial maladjustment is a sig nificant issue for people with epilepsy in Hong Kong. The emerging importan ce of social factors as predictors of psychosocial adjustment in epilepsy, as compared with medical factors, highlights the need for developing tailor ed counseling therapy and social support groups for people with epilepsy.