Illness perception in Chinese adults with epilepsy

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Psychology
• Public Health

Background:

• Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder globally.
• Understanding patient subjective experience is crucial for epilepsy treatment and rehabilitation.
• Limited research exists on illness perception among Chinese adults with epilepsy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the illness perception of Chinese adults with epilepsy.
• To compare illness perception between epilepsy patients and chronic liver disease patients.
• To explore factors associated with illness perception in epilepsy.

Main Methods:

• 117 Chinese adults with epilepsy and 87 with chronic liver disease completed the Chinese version of the Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire (CIPQ-R).
• Epilepsy patients also completed the Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS) and Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire (SCSQ).
• Statistical analyses included independent sample t-tests and partial correlation coefficients.

Main Results:

• Epilepsy and chronic liver disease patients reported moderate personal and treatment control beliefs.
• Both groups perceived timeline and illness coherence similarly.
• Epilepsy patients exhibited higher negative emotional representations than chronic liver disease patients.
• Illness perception in epilepsy was linked to timeline, emotional representations, social support, coping style, epilepsy duration, seizure frequency, and antiepileptic drug count.

Conclusions:

• Chinese epilepsy patients demonstrate limited illness understanding and poor perceived control.
• Negative emotional responses and fears regarding illness impact are prevalent.
• Illness perception is significantly influenced by psychosocial factors and clinical characteristics.
• Interventions should aim to enhance patients' understanding and attitudes towards epilepsy.