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The assessment of family caregivers’ anxiety in pediatric epilepsy : a cross-sectional sudy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 September 2022

A. Zouari*
Affiliation:
Hedi Chaker Hospital, Psychiatry C, sfax, Tunisia Hedi Chaker Hospital, Pediatric Neurology, sfax, Tunisia
N. Charfi
Affiliation:
Hedi Chaker Hospital, Psychiatry C, sfax, Tunisia
A. Guermazi
Affiliation:
Hedi Chaker Hospital, Psychiatry C, sfax, Tunisia Hedi Chaker Hospital, Pediatric Neurology, sfax, Tunisia
M. Mnif
Affiliation:
Hedi Chaker Hospital, Psychiatry C, sfax, Tunisia Hedi Chaker Hospital, Pediatric Neurology, sfax, Tunisia
W. Bouchaala
Affiliation:
Hedi Chaker Hospital, Pediatric Neurology, sfax, Tunisia Faculty of medicine of Sfax, Lr19es15 Pediatric Neurology, sfax, Tunisia
S. Ben Ncir
Affiliation:
Hedi Chaker Hospital, Pediatric Neurology, sfax, Tunisia Faculty of medicine of Sfax, Lr19es15 Pediatric Neurology, sfax, Tunisia
F. Kammoun
Affiliation:
Hedi Chaker Hospital, Pediatric Neurology, sfax, Tunisia Faculty of medicine of Sfax, Lr19es15 Pediatric Neurology, sfax, Tunisia
M. Maalej
Affiliation:
Hedi Chaker Hospital, Psychiatry C, sfax, Tunisia
C. Triki
Affiliation:
Hedi Chaker Hospital, Pediatric Neurology, sfax, Tunisia Faculty of medicine of Sfax, Lr19es15 Pediatric Neurology, sfax, Tunisia
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

Pediatric epilepsy is a debilitating disease that impacts not only children with epilpsy but also persons arround them. It is often considered as a source of anxiety for family caregivers.

Objectives

Assess the level of anxiety in caregivers of children with epilepsy and to identify factors related to it.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical study between July and October 2020. It included caregivers of children with epilepsy hospitalized in the pediatric neurology department of Sfax. We used the STAI-Y scale to assess the level of state anxiety (STAI-AE).

Results

Forty four womens participated in our study. Low socio-economic level was found in 31.8% of cases. The average age of children was 4.9 years. The mean duration of epilepsy was 2.2 years. It was comorbid with an autism spectrum disorder or an intellectual disability in 15.9% of cases. In 70.5% of the cases, the children were dependent on their caregivers in their daily lives. The level of anxiety was moderate in 27.3% and high to very high in 13.6% of them. A higher state-anxiety score was correlated with a longer duration of epilepsy (p=0.033), a lower familial socioeconomic level (p=0.013) and a higher number of children in family (p=0.048).

Conclusions

Pediatric epilepsy is associated with significant level of anxiety in family caregivers. This anxiety increases with the duration of the disease and with the presence of socioeconomic and family difficulties. Thus, psychosocial support for caregivers should be integrated into a global approach of the disease.

Disclosure

No significant relationships.

Type
Abstract
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the European Psychiatric Association
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