Adolescent and Maternal Perspectives of Quality of Life and Neuropsychological Status Following Epilepsy Surgery.
A convenience sample of 13 adolescents who had undergone epilepsy surgery and their mothers reported their perceptions of change in areas affecting quality of life (physical, affect/behavior, social, cognition/academics, and family). A mixed method approach was used, with self-report and maternal-report narratives (qualitative measures), as well as neuropsychological profiles (quantitative measures). The results demonstrate that change after epilepsy surgery is multifaceted, and that adolescent and maternal perceptions are notably different. Whereas most adolescents experienced positive changes, mothers simultaneously reported many more negative changes along with positive changes. Furthermore, mothers frequently described aspects of their adolescent's life that continued to be of concern, whereas adolescents did not. The findings strongly suggest that the processes involved in postsurgical adjustment are complex. The development of a theoretical model is essential to help build an understanding of factors that contribute to positive and negative outcomes.
Elliott
Irene M.
IM
Departments of Nursing, The Hospital for Sick Children and the University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Lach
Lucyna
L
Smith
Mary Lou
ML