Behavioral Problems and Childhood Epilepsy: Parent vs Child Perspectives.

Area of Science:

• Child neurology
• Developmental psychology
• Behavioral science

Background:

• Pediatric epilepsy is often associated with behavioral problems.
• Parental proxy reports are commonly used to assess these issues.
• The influence of parental perception on these associations is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if parental proxy reports distort the association between pediatric epilepsy and behavioral problems.
• To compare parental proxy reports with self-reports in individuals with epilepsy.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal assessment of children with epilepsy and sibling controls.
• Use of parent-proxy Child Behavior Check List (CBCL) and self-report measures (Young Adult Self-Report, Adult Self-Report).
• Inclusion of parent-reported impact of child's illness on parents.

Main Results:

• Parent-proxy CBCL scores were higher in children with epilepsy at baseline.
• After adjusting for parental impact, most differences disappeared.
• Self-report measures at multiple time points showed no significant case-control differences.

Conclusions:

• Parental proxy reports of behavioral problems in pediatric epilepsy may be influenced by parental emotional impact.
• Self-report measures in older adolescents and adults with epilepsy do not support elevated behavioral problems.
• Findings highlight the importance of considering the source of information when assessing behavioral issues in pediatric epilepsy.