Use of a child behavior checklist in the psychosocial assessment of children with epilepsy.

Children with epilepsy are faced with many of the same psychosocial stressors as other chronically ill children, and a proper assessment is vital. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the Child Behavior Checklist of Achenbach and Edelbrock could be used as a practical and objective tool for evaluating the psychosocial needs of children with epilepsy. Thirty-eight children were randomly selected from the Neurology outpatient clinic at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario. Questionnaires were completed by the mothers during their waiting period. Results demonstrated the highest risk of maladjustment was within social functioning. As children reach adolescence, adjustment problems are mostly related to school. Although as a group, our sample did not differ from norms for behavior problems, there was evidence to suggest behavioral maladjustment for individual children. The checklist appears to be a good screening tool for maladjustment that could be included as part of the pediatrician's comprehensive assessment of children with epilepsy.