Informatics Publishing Limited

Umed Singh ¹, Parinka ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Psychology, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, Haryana, IN

Abstract

Persons with the diagnosis of epilepsy are a high risk group for different psychiatric problems such as depression and anxiety. The present study was mainly aimed at understanding the comorbid psychiatric conditions and the factors significantly influencing the treatment. For this, 100 patients of epilepsy aged 18 to 40 years were selected from hospitals and climes of neurologist/psychiatrists to participate in the study along with 100 normal controls. Data were collected by administering Personality Assessment Inventory by Morey, 1999. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics (Mean, SD, SK, and KU) to ascertain the normalcy of data, t-ratios to compare the two groups in terms of their mean scores of eleven clinical scales and five treatment consideration scales and Discriminant Function Analysis to examine the joint contribution of all the sixteen variables in differentiation of two groups. Results revealed that patients with epilepsy scored significantly high on nine clinical scales out of eleven scale and high on all treatment consideration scales. In Discriminant Analysis, Depression, Stress, Non-Support, Anxiety, Aggression, Paranoia, Anxiety Related Disorders, Treatment Rejection and Anti-Social Features emerged most potent discriminators classifying the two groups correctly by 99.5%. Overall findings revealed the patients with epilepsy tend to develop the neurotic and psychotic spectrum disorders along with the attitudinal and behavioural tendencies which can reduce the treatment compliance among them.

Keywords

Psychiatric Problems, Treatment Compliance, Epilepsy.

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Parinka ¹, Umed Singh ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Psychology, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, IN

Abstract

Epilepsy is a condition frequently accompanied by psychiatric and psychosocial problems and a reduced quality of life. The present study was mainly aimed at understanding the comorbid psychiatric and psychosocial problems that significantly influence the daily life of persons with epilepsy. For this, 100 patients of epilepsy aged 18 to 40 years were selected from hospitals and clinics of neurologist/psychiatrists to participate in the study along with 100 normal controls. Data were collected by administering Personality Assessment Inventory by Morey, 1999. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics (Mean, SD, SK, and KU) to ascertain the normalcy of data, t-ratios to compare the two groups in terms of their mean scores of ten clinical scales and two interpersonal scales; and Discriminant Function Analysis to examine the joint contribution of all the twelve variables in differentiation of two groups. Results revealed that patients with epilepsy scored significantly high on ten clinical scales i.e Somatic Complains, Anxiety, Anxiety-Related Disorders, Depression, Mania, Paranoia, Schizophrenia, Borderline Features, Anti social Features, and Drug problem and two interpersonal scales i.e Dominance and warmth. In Discriminant Analysis, Depression, Anxiety-related Disorders, Borderline Features, Warmth, Somatic Complaint, Anxiety and Dominance emerged most potent discriminators classifying the two groups correctly by 100%. Overall findings revealed the patients with epilepsy tend to develop the neurotic and psychotic spectrum disorders along with the interpersonal behavioural problems and these psychopathological and social variables should be taken into account in diagnosis and treatment strategy for epilepsy.

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