Problems in Disclosure of the Diagnosis and Adaptation to School Life for the Out-patients with Epilepsy in the Pediatric Neurology Clinics

Abstract

We analyzed 210 mailing answers of questionnaires to the families who have epileptic patients under treatment in out-patient clinics. The age at the survey was 1 year and 3 months up to 38 years (with a mean of 15. 1 years). The results are as follows. I. Q “How did you feel when you were informed that your child had epilepsy?”: “Wanted to cure it by all means.” 82%, “Could not believe it.” 60%, “Felt sorry for the children.” 60%. II. Q “Whether or not the patient was informed that he had epilepsy?” (excluding those who are less than 5 years old and/or mentally retarded): “Informed.” 33%, “accidentally informed” 8%, “Not informed” 44%, “No intention to inform” 15%. Those who were informed were older than those who were not informed. III. “Worries that the families have because of epilepsy.”: “The future of patients” 77%, “Prognosis of the disease” 59%, “Influence upon the siblings” 28%, “Neighbor's and relative's prejudice” 11%. Number of answers selected per cases was smaller in primary generalized epilepsies. IV. Q “Does he have good relationship with school mates?”: Yes 75%, No 25%. V. Q “Whether or not the patient's illness was informed his school?”: “Informed” 47%. A lot of families did not inform it to school.
The families of epileptic patients have many problems of various kind because of epilepsy.These problems contain not only the conditions of the patients, such as seizure control, but also other conditions, such as influence upon siblings, prejudice of the society for their lifes. And the problems on school are also important for epileptic children.