Emotional and social reactions of children to epilepsy in a parent.

This study examined the emotional and social reactions of children to epilepsy in a parent. Clinical impression and previous research suggests that these children have special psychosocial problems. Fifteen families, randomly selected from outpatient clinics, were evaluated using an open interview, standardized inventories and a personality test. The results showed that the investigated families had acceptable levels of communication about the epilepsy. The majority of children were informed about the parent's epileptic condition before they witnessed a seizure. An overall judgement of social functioning showed that the children had sufficient social adaptation. Analysis of the personality inventories revealed no signs of serious personality disorders in the children. Closer inquiry into the results showed that, despite the availability of information, misconceptions about the epilepsy and associated fears existed. In particular, extreme denial of somatic complaints was observed in a subgroup. Associated problems in the area of social functioning concerned a defensive attitude towards inviting friends home, increased feeling of responsibility for the parents and academic problems at school.