Adjustment and coping in epilepsy

Our study investigated interrelationships between problems in psychosocial adjustment, coping and epilepsy variables. Establishing the cross-cultural applicability of the Washington Psychosocial Seizure Inventory (WPSI) was a n additional objective. The WPSI, Ways of Coping Scale, Modified Version, as well as scales measuri ng depression and anxiety were administered to 310 outpatients with epileps y. When the scores of patients with high Lie scores were eliminated, the WPSI profiles were found to be similar to former studies, with some score elevat ions in emotional adjustment and interpersonal adjustment. When relationshi ps between adjustment variables and coping were modelled, coping was found to be a mediator between the effects of interpersonal and emotional adjustm ent and integration to the broader social context (vocational adjustment). Family background was found to be a significant predictor of the emotional well-being and interpersonal adjustment scores of the patients. Results support the central role of coping and emotional well-being and emp hasize the importance of family factors in adjustment to epilepsy. Psychoth erapy and psychological interventions could support coping with illness, pr imarily through elimination of negative family and social effects and treat ment of emotional problems. (C) 2001 BEA Trading Ltd.