title: Socio-occupational and employment profile of patients with epilepsy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Epilepsy has a significant impact on quality of life. Many studies have observed higher unemployment rates among patients with epilepsy. However, unemployment rates vary according to the clinical conditions, country, and group studied.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between October 2007 and February 2008, we performed a cross-sectional multicenter epidemiological study to evaluate the socio-occupational and employment profiles of 872 adult patients with epilepsy followed in outpatient epilepsy clinics in Spain.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-eight percent of the patients were employed at the time of the survey, 10.9% of the patients were unemployed, and 12.5% were occupationally incapacitated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with epilepsy had employment rates similar to those of the general population, and slightly higher levels of unemployment. The main factors associated with unemployment and incapacity were the presence of refractory epilepsy, the occurrence of a seizure in the last 12 months, level of education, and polytherapy.
authors.affiliation: Neurology, Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marinas
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Elices
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gil-Nagel
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Salas-Puig
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Sánchez
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carreño
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Villanueva
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rosendo
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Porcel
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Serratosa
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009790:Occupations; D011788:Quality of Life; D014478:Unemployment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult