A randomized controlled trial was conducted in Santiago, Chile to test the efficacy of the Children's Epilepsy Program, a child-centered, family-focused intervention developed and pilot tested in Los Angeles, CA, U.S.A., using a counseling model for parents of children with seizure disorders to help them (a) deal with their anger, resentment, and grief related to the loss of a normal child; (b) increase their knowledge about caring for their child; (c) reduce anxieties related to having a child with a seizure disorder; and (d) improve their decision-making skills. All parents were pretested and then retested 5 months after the educational interventions. Parents in the experimental group (n = 185) and their children separately attended four 1 1/2-h sessions and then met together at the end of each session to share learning experiences. Comparison group parents (n = 180) and their children jointly attended three 2-h lecture sessions followed by question-and-answer periods. Although parents' overall knowledge of epilepsy was relatively high initially, it improved considerably in both comparison and experimental groups. With regard to anxiety, at the 5-month evaluation, experimental group parents and mothers in particular were more likely than control parents to state that they were less anxious (p less than 0.001), and their anxiety, as measured by the Taylor Manifest Anxiety scale, was significantly reduced (p less than 0.01).
This paper describes a supportive group therapy experience for parents who sought relief from the painful grief experienced after the suicide of their child. Parents who felt overwhelmed by feelings of shame, guilt, self‐doubt, confusion and isolation found some relief in the universality of their grief and felt accepted and understood. Within three months, they were able to take this experience into their larger social network and felt more integrated.
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