An influence of interictal anxiety on coping and self-control strategies for epileptic seizures in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy

Abstract

A comparative analysis of coping and self-control strategies for epileptic seizures in temporal lobe epilepsy patients with and without interictal anxiety. Authors evaluated interictal anxiety (IA) with HADS, strategies for seizure control with CBES-SC, coping-style with BriefCOPE scale and quality of life with QOLIE-31-P scale in 45 patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). The control group consisted of 86 healthy individuals. In 35% of patients with TLE, the anxiety (HADS) was higher compared to the normal level. TLE patients with IA had a lower quality of life compared to patients without IA (51.19±12.39% vs. 65.43±18.11%, p=0.008). A comparative analysis of coping strategies in TLE patients with and without IA showed that patients with IA used such strategies as 'venting' and 'behavioral disengagement' more often. Patients with IA had a higher emotional coping style score (р<0.05) and used strategies for seizure control more often (71% of patients with IA vs. 32% of patients without IA, χ2=6.282, р<0.05), but there were no significant differences in the effectiveness of seizure control between groups. Associative interactions between interictal anxiety, emotional coping style and low quality of life were shown. This gives grounds for regarding anxiety as a target for treatment. At the same time, anxiety motivates patients to a wider use of self-management strategies, but has no impact on the effectiveness of seizure control.