[Social adaptation of epileptic patients]

A comparative analysis of the changes seen in the field of social adaptation of epileptics over the last 21 years disclosed an increase in occupational adaptation of such patients in conditions of common production. Thus, judging by the number of epileptic patients registered in the outpatient psychoneurologic centers in 1958, 1970 and 1979, there has been a 8.8%-increase in the proportion of those being employed. Among the patients who work as office employees, some 45% are engaged in occupations requiring a definite unimpaired developmental and intellectual level. 80% of the affected children attend nonspecialized schools. All this necessitates the reviewing of the current concepts about the severity, course, and prognosis of epilepsy. A joint impact of biological and social factors is shown to be important in the occupational adaptation of patients. Considerable attention is given to the role of environmental, including psychogenic factors in the formation of secondary neurotic and psychic disorders.