Abstracts

RATIONALE: Previous research demonstrates that children and adolescents with chronic health conditions such as epilepsy are at an increased risk for negative psychosocial outcomes including social isolation, affective disorders, and decreased quality of life. Although the increased risk has been recognized for some time, little research has been conducted examining the outcome of psychosocial interventions for adolescents with epilepsy. This presentation will provide the partcipants information concerning the development, implementation and impact of a structured group treatment program for adolescents with epilepsy and their parents.
METHODS: The program [dsquote]Taking Charge of Epilepsy[dsquote] was initially developed by two of the authors (JA, KB) and previous psychology interns with input from the local chapter of the Epilepsy Foundation of America (EFA) in response to a perceived need within the local community for an educational/support group for adolescents with epilepsy. The initial version of the group was just for adolescents . Subsequently, the format was modified and structured group meetings were designed so that the parents and adolescents participated in concurrent meetings one hour weekly for six weeks. Session topics included epilepsy information, medical treatment, and psychosocial well-being/adjustment. Between sessions, all participants completed daily seizure/thought logs which were utilized during presentation of a cognitive-behavioral model of the interaction between thoughts and mood.
RESULTS: Nine adolescents age 13-18 completed the screening. Five (2-M, 3-F) qualified and were enrolled. Of these, one participant did not complete the program due to a family illness. After the final session, all participants completed an anonymous evaluation form including Likert-type scale items and open-ended questions. Overall level of satisfaction with the group was high. A non-parametric analysis indicated significant findings for two items: [dsquote]Did the groups meet your expectations?[dsquote]and [dsquote]Were the subjects covered in the sessions helpful to you?[dsquote] Responses to open-ended questions indicated that parents and adolescents valued the interaction with other participants and the support provided by the group. In addition, several respondents indicated particular topic areas covered in the sessions as what they liked most about the groups.
CONCLUSIONS: Both adolescent and parent participants responded positively to participation in the group sessions. Social interaction with other participants and factual information presented in group were most commonly indicated as valued by the participants. The adolescents varied greatly in age (13-17 years) as well as developmental level. Overall cognitive level and degree of independence from parents may influence the applicability of the group for some adolescents. Ongoing efforts will need to incorporate or respond to differential level of parental dependency. This data was collected through an ongoing research project. Additional subjects will be enrolled prior to the AES meeting and new analyses will be conducted.
[Supported by: American Epilepsy Foundation/Shire]; (Disclosure: Grant - Epilepsy Foundation of America/Shire)