Satisfaction with life and cope of mothers with epileptic children

INTRODUCTION: Epilepsy does not only affect the person with epilepsy, but also the family. The family has to face many problems with the diagnosis of epilepsy. The aim of this study was to determine the satisfaction with life and coping attitudes of the mother with epileptic child. METHODS: This descriptive study included mothers of 60 children diagnosed with epilepsy from a state and university hospital in a province in the Aegean region. Sociodemographic Information Form, COPE (Evaluation of Coping Attitudes Scale) and Satisfaction with Life Scale were applied to the mothers. RESULTS: The mean scores of the Satisfaction with Life Scale of mothers with epileptic children were 19.41 ± 7.20. The mean age of epilepsy diagnosis, the number of seizures per year, the mother's education and employment status, and the presence of another person with a diagnosis of epilepsy in the family were not significantly correlated. It was found that the mean scores of Satisfaction with Life Scale of mothers with moderate economic status were higher and they used Dysfunctional Coping attitude more frequently. No significant relationship was found between the mean scores of the Satisfaction with Life Scale and the mean scores of the Coping Attitudes Scale. CONCLUSION: The results of this study can help healthcare professionals interested in families with epileptic children to identify health and support needs and plan appropriate initiatives and training