Living with Epilepsy in Adolescence in Italy: Psychological and Behavioral Impact

Abstract

Background: People with epilepsy have a higher prevalence of behavioral and neuropsychiatric comorbidities compared to the general population and those with other chronic medical conditions, although the underlying clinical features remain unclear. The goal of the current study was to characterize behavioral profiles of adolescents with epilepsy, assess the presence of psychopathological disorders, and investigate the reciprocal interactions among epilepsy, psychological functioning, and their main clinical variables. Methods: Sixty-three adolescents with epilepsy were consecutively recruited at the Epilepsy Center, Childhood and Adolescence Neuropsychiatry Unit of Santi Paolo e Carlo hospital in Milan (five of them were excluded) and assessed with a specific questionnaire for psychopathology in adolescence, such as the Questionnaire for the Assessment of Psychopathology in Adolescence (Q-PAD). Q-PAD results were then correlated with the main clinical data. Results: 55.2% (32/58) of patients presented at least one emotional disturbance. Body dissatisfaction, anxiety, interpersonal conflicts, family problems, uncertainty about the future, and self-esteem/well-being disorders were frequently reported. Gender and poor control of seizures are associated with specific emotional features (p < 0.05). Conclusions: These findings highlight the importance of screening for emotional distress, recognition of the impairments, and provision of adequate treatment and follow-up. A pathological score on the Q-PAD should always require the clinician to investigate the presence of behavioral disorders and comorbidities in adolescents with epilepsy.

Comparison of Resilience and Depression in Children and Adolescents with Epilepsy and Healthy Controls

“…Psychological resilience, on the other hand, comes from the concept of "resilience", which derives from the Latin verb "salire" that meaning to jump again. It has been translated into Turkish with terms such as resilience, psychological resilience and flexibility [7]. The concept of psychological resilience, which is the ability of individuals to recover themselves or to overcome what they have experienced despite many challenges and difficulties they encounter in life, has been the subject of many studies in the literature [8].…”