title: Determining the coping strategies of individuals with epilepsy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of the present study was to determine whether the coping styles of patients with epilepsy are associated with certain demographic, clinical, and psychosocial variables.
  
  
  METHODS
  A survey of 200 patients using several tests including the Brief-COPE was conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nine subscales of the Brief-COPE achieved acceptable internal consistency and were employed in study analysis. Using principal component analysis, six subscales correlated well with one another, representing engagement-type coping strategies. The other three also correlated well, representing disengagement-type strategies. As a group, our patients favored engagement-type strategies. On univariate analysis, increased age, being African-American, receiving disability benefits, and work status were associated with the use of engagement-type strategies, while on multiple linear regression, only age and race were independently associated. Low BMQ-S scores, low income level, and not driving were associated with the use of disengagement-type strategies both on univariate and multivariate analyses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Among patients with epilepsy, certain demographic and psychosocial variables are associated with particular coping styles.
authors.affiliation: Comprehensive Epilepsy Program, Department of Neurology, University of Florida Health Sciences Center/Jacksonville, 32209, USA. ramon.bautista@jax.ufl.edu
authors.forename: Ramon Edmundo D
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Bautista
authors.forename: Valerie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rundle-Gonzalez
authors.forename: Rusha G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Awad
authors.forename: Philip A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Erwin
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D003710:Demography; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000523:psychology*; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012919:Social Behavior; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D044465:White People