Psycho-educational therapy among Nigerian adult patients with epilepsy: a controlled outcome study.
Psychological interventions in relation to epilepsy are worthy of empirical investigation since there is broad agreement that the psycho-social problems of epilepsy are often more disabling than the seizure attacks. The present study using a controlled outcome design evaluated the efficacy of a 2-day psycho-educational program among patients with epilepsy in Nigeria. The psycho-educational program is the consequence of a two-stage study design, which set out to identify and evaluate psycho-social factors that determine interictal psychopathology in people with epilepsy. Thirty out-patients matched according to seizure type and frequency of seizures were randomly assigned to treatment (n = 15) or waiting-list control (n = 15) groups. The major outcome measures used were knowledge about illness schedule, the Becks depression inventory and the Crown-Crisp experiential index. Significant differences between the two groups were found on the three major scales used. The treatment group by within-group analyses, showed a substantial significant decrease in level of depression, a significant increase in the knowledge about epilepsy as well as a significant decrease in all measures of neurotic disorders except for hysterical sub-scale.
Olley
B O
BO
Department of Psychology, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
Osinowo
H O
HO
Brieger
W R
WR
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011613:Psychotherapy
D000927:Anticonvulsants