title: Social skills problems in children with epilepsy: prevalence, nature and predictors.
abstract: To determine the prevalence, nature, and predictors of social skills impairment in children with epilepsy, 101 parents completed the Social Skills Rating System, the Child Behavior Checklist, a general health questionnaire for both their child with epilepsy (aged 3-17) and his or her sibling, a quality-of-life assessment for the child with epilepsy, and Family Assessment Measure III. Epilepsy-specific variables were recorded for each case. Although children with epilepsy had poorer social skills (P<0.05) and were less assertive (P<0.006) than their siblings, the proportion with clinically significant social skills deficits was low and did not differ between groups (13% vs 7%, P=0.12). Neurological factors were related to social skills, but only presence of a learning disability (odds ratio=8.64, 95% CI=1.87-39.98) and abnormal family function (odds ratio=8.75, 95% CI=1.42-53.83) were strongly predictive of social skills impairment. Lower social skills were moderately correlated with epilepsy-specific and global quality of life (P<0.001).
authors.affiliation: University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Enrica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tse
authors.forename: Lorie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hamiwka
authors.forename: Elisabeth M S
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Sherman
authors.forename: Elaine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wirrell
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D012801:Sibling Relations; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D012917:Social Adjustment; D013223:Statistics as Topic