title: Quality of life in young adults with uncomplicated epilepsy.
abstract: This aim of this study was to illuminate quality of life (QOL) of young adults with epilepsy. Subjects (n=102) answered the Quality of Life Index (QLI) questionnaire together with an overall open question (n=95/102) regarding the impact of epilepsy on daily life. The highest QOL was reported in relation to the family domain, and the lowest, in relation to the psychological/spiritual domain. Overall the participants were satisfied with their lives. Most important were the well-being of their families, their relationships with their spouses, and their ability to control their lives. Half of the participants experienced a negative effect of epilepsy on their daily lives. Of those, 70% considered the effect insignificant or small. This study supports the conclusions that uncomplicated epilepsy does not significantly affect QOL in young adulthood and that the risk of social isolation due to uncomplicated epilepsy is not significantly increased.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Social and Life Sciences, Department of Nursing, Karlstad University, SE-651 88 Karlstad, Sweden. lena.raty@kau.se
authors.forename: Lena K A
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Räty
authors.forename: Bodil M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Wilde Larsson
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000523:psychology*; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D012917:Social Adjustment; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires