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 an additional objective. The WPSI, Ways of Coping Scale, Modified Version, as well as scales measuring depression and anxiety were administered to 310 outpatients with epilepsy. 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 elevations in emotional adjustment and interpersonal adjustment. When relationships between adjustment variables and coping were modelled, coping was found to be a mediator between the effects of interpersonal and emotional adjustment 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 emphasize the importance of family factors in adjustment to epilepsy. Psychotherapy and psychological interventions could support coping with illness, primarily through elimination of negative family and social effects and treatment of emotional problems.