Being believed was the most elemental factor for coping with the condition. Using a biopsychosocial approach to explain the diagnosis may facilitate identification with the explanatory models, and thus acceptance of the diagnosis.

The mode of communicating the PNES diagnosis may be decisive for the patients' treatment motivation and ability to cope with the disorder. In order to avoid the patients feeling that they have been abandoned with a difficult diagnosis, close cooperation between neurologists and psychiatrists is essential.

This qualitative study explores social participation in young people with non-epileptic seizures (NES), particularly how legitimacy of illness is managed in everyday life.Young people with NES, all females and aged between 14 and 24 years (N =11), were interviewed and followed up over a 14-month period. The transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis.Four main themes were elaborated: 1) Delegitimizing experiences from families, schoolteachers, colleagues and employers were part of everyday life. 2) Fear of being exposed to delegitimizing events resulted in the young people trying to conceal the diagnosis; for some this resulted in isolation from all social arenas, apart from with their closest relationships. 3) Support from close relationships was protective against delegitimization and contributed towards greater social participation. 4) Perceiving NES as a legitimate disorder contributed to increased social participation.We found a relationship between legitimacy of illness experienced by the participants and the extent to which they either participated or retreated socially. Those who had an illness perception that was personally meaningful experienced their condition as being more legitimate and participated more socially.