Abstract
This study aimed to clarify the illness awareness of adolescent patients with epilepsy and its effect on the relationship between the disease and the patient's environment. The subjects were 32 patients with epilepsy (age range, 12 to 25 years) who had received an explanation of their diagnosis and completed a self-administered questionnaire on their hopes for their future. Questionnaire data revealed that the subjects' hopes for the future were the same as those identified in the Basic Survey of Schools conducted by the Japanese Ministry of Education. The subjects' awareness of their illness encouraged their health management, and encouraged them to view their illness positively. Parents and medical staff must all understand that adolescents with epilepsy worry about their future, and require supporting relationships in which it is easy to seek support.
