Social functioning in adolescents with epilepsy

This study was designed to investigate the extent to which illness visibility and adjustment to illness are related to perceived loneliness among adolescents with epilepsy. It was proposed that adolescents with more visible epilepsy and/or greater problems in illness adjustment would report greater perceived loneliness. A sample of 26 adolescents was administered self-report questionnaires designed to assess problems with illness adjustment and perceived loneliness. Parents of participants supplied information on participants' epileptic status. Results indicated that participants with more visaible epilepsy did report greater perceived loneliness but also fewer problems with illness adjustment. Findings from this study encourage re-evaluation of the manner in which we define social functioning among chronically ill adolescents and necessitate further assessment of the contexts that support adaptation to epilepsy.