title: Psychopathology, quality of life and risk factors in children and adolescents with recent-onset epilepsy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to describe the distribution, timing, and risk factors for psychopathology and to further examine the quality of life (QoL) in an Italian sample of children with recent onset epilepsy. Sociodemographic and psychosocial variables, family factors, as well as illness-related factors themselves were examined in order to clarify the relationship among these variables, psychopathology and QoL.
  
  
  METHODS
  For this purpose, 49 children and adolescents (4-18 years), consecutively referred to a Neurophysiology Service, were evaluated by a multidisciplinary team using dimensional as well as categorical instruments both self-administered (self-report and proxy-report) and interviewer administered.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-five percent of the patients exhibited one or more Axis I disorders (DSM-IV) when evaluated with K-SADS-PL interview. It's worth noting that preadolescent and adolescent patients tend to underestimate their problems compared to their parents'opinion, when answering self-administer questionnaires. Self-reported QoL appeared to be generally satisfactory. Social and family factor, as well as epilepsy related factors appeared to be linked both to the presence of psychopathology and to the QoL. Patients affected by psychiatric disorders exhibited the poorest QoL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Also after many years from the onset, childhood epilepsy frequently fosters negative consequences in terms of social life, work, psychopathology and life expectancy. The ability of health services and public health measures to prevent and treat psychiatric comorbidity may have a pivotal role in enhancing patients' QoL.
authors.affiliation: Childhood, Adolescence and Family Unit, ULSS 16 and Department of Woman's and Child's Health, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gatta
authors.affiliation: Interdepartmental Center for Family Research, Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education, and Applied Psychology, Section of Applied Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy - laura.balottin@libero.it.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Balottin
authors.affiliation: Childhood, Adolescence and Family Unit, ULSS 16 and Department of Woman's and Child's Health, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Ambra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Salmaso
authors.affiliation: Childhood, Adolescence and Family Unit, ULSS 16 and Department of Woman's and Child's Health, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stucchi
authors.affiliation: Childhood, Adolescence and Family Unit, ULSS 16 and Department of Woman's and Child's Health, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Debora
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: DE Carlo
authors.affiliation: Childhood, Adolescence and Family Unit, ULSS 16 and Department of Woman's and Child's Health, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Guarneri
authors.affiliation: Interdepartmental Center for Family Research, Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education, and Applied Psychology, Section of Applied Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mannarini
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Neurophysiology Unit, Department of Woman's and Child's Health, University Hospital of Padua, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Marilena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vecchi
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Neurophysiology Unit, Department of Woman's and Child's Health, University Hospital of Padua, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Clementina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Boniver
authors.affiliation: Childhood, Adolescence and Family Unit, ULSS 16 and Department of Woman's and Child's Health, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Pier A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Battistella
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D010348:Patient Care Team; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D012307:Risk Factors; D057566:Self Report; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires