title: Psychological and social outcome of epilepsy in well-functioning children and adolescents. A 10-year follow-up study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  From a population based study of epilepsy in Swedish children a subgroup designated well-functioning with an epilepsy diagnosis in 1997 was worked up from a medical point of view 10 years later.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe the psychological and social outcome in this subgroup.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-one patients aged 11-22 years and their parents/partners responded to a questionnaire according to Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment (ASEBA) to evaluate behavioural and emotional problems, and social competence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Active epilepsy, diagnosed in 32%, was related to attention problems, somatic complaints, and school problems. Polytherapy, used in 16%, was related to attention problems and aggressive behaviour. School problems were found in six of seven children younger than 18 years. Internalizing, externalizing, and 'other' syndromes were found in 29% of the individuals, but a grouping of these syndromes in the clinical range only in two (6.5%), a girl with generalized tonic-clonic seizures alone, and a boy with structural focal epilepsy. Both had active epilepsy and were treated with polytherapy. All ten individuals with Rolandic epilepsy were classified as normal. The answers to the ASEBA questionnaire of individuals and parents/partners were inconsistent, and parents generally stated more problems than the individuals.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This 10-year follow-up study of psychological and social outcome in well-functioning children and adolescents with childhood onset epilepsy shows some emotional, behavioural, and social problems. Thus, early information to increase knowledge about epilepsy and associated psychological co-morbidities in order to decrease risk of low self-esteem, social anxiety, and depression later in life is of importance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Women's and Children's Health, Neuropaediatrics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden. Electronic address: pysse.jonsson@akademiska.se.
authors.forename: Pysse
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jonsson
authors.affiliation: Department of Women's and Children's Health, Neuropaediatrics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Björn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jonsson
authors.affiliation: Department of Women's and Children's Health, Neuropaediatrics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Orvar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Eeg-Olofsson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D010290:Parents; D012919:Social Behavior; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: ASEBA; Adolescent epilepsy; Childhood epilepsy; Internalizing and externalizing problems; Well-functioning individuals