title: Quality of life in epilepsy (QOLIE): insights about epilepsy and support groups from people with epilepsy (San Francisco Bay Area, USA).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study evaluated quality of life (QOL) in people with epilepsy (PWE) in the San Francisco Bay Area.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a qualitative study examining QOL through the use of focus groups and of the QOLIE-31-P survey instrument. Six focus groups were conducted to examine self-reported challenges due to epilepsy. Focus groups were conducted for individuals who did and did not attend support groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Individuals with epilepsy reported substantial difficulties with finances, physical and psychosocial functioning. Also, limited knowledge about services and relatively negative feelings toward self were common among newly diagnosed participants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Many of the issues surrounding QOL and challenges were shared across groups. Epilepsy-related social services appeared to be useful in helping PWE cope and in increasing PWE's awareness of key enabling services. Although many individuals with epilepsy reported poor QOL and other challenges, epilepsy-related services may be under-utilized due to a lack of awareness.
authors.affiliation: Health Research for Action, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA. kchungvietnam@gmail.com
authors.forename: Kenny
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Susan L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Ivey
authors.forename: Debbie
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Corina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Wenting
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Winston
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tseng
authors.forename: Daveena
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ma
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001334:Automobile Driving; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D004522:Educational Status; D004651:Employment; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000191:economics / Q000523:psychology*; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D007348:Insurance, Health; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012495:San Francisco; D012657:Self-Help Groups; D012919:Social Behavior; D012943:Social Security; D057545:Social Stigma; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult