Stressors and Coping Patterns of Mothers Having Children with Epilepsy

Abstract

Background: Mothers of children with epilepsy have significant worries and stress around the epilepsy diagnosis, comorbidities, treatments and management of disease that maintain over time. The aim of this study: To assessthe stressors and coping patterns of mothers having children with epilepsy. A descriptive Design was conducted at the outpatient clinic in the Neurological pediatric outpatient clinic affiliated to Ain Shams University Hospitals. Subjects: A purposive sample(100) of children suffering from epilepsy and their mothers. Tools of the study involved, structured questionnaire sheet to assess the children and their mothers,characteristics as well theirknowledge about epilepsy. ParentingStress Index to assess parents, stress. Also, Coping patterns scale to assess the mothers, coping patterns toward their children suffering from epilepsy. Results: The present study revealed that, the mean age of the children was 5.78±3.9 years and more than two fifth of them were ranked as the third child and more in their families. More than half of the children were male. The mean age of the mothers was 32.2±6 years and less than one third of them had secondary education. As regards the mothers, occupation, the majority of them were housewives. More than one third of the mothers had a moderate level of psychological stressors,while, more than half of them had a moderate level of social stressors and less than two thirds of them have high levels of physical stressors. Additionally, more than half of the mothers had a moderate coping patterns regarding their children with epilepsy. Conclusion: The results of this study concluded that, themothers of children with epilepsy are facing with many stressors resulting from their children with epilepsy; these stressors included physical, psychological and social stressors and moderate coping patterns regarding their children with epilepsy. Recommendation: Emphasize the importance of availability and distribution of pamphlets and booklet containing the basic knowledge for mothers about the disease of their children.