Parental Well-Being and Psychosocial Factors in Pediatric Epilepsy

Paediatric epilepsy presents a complex interplay of clinical management and family dynamics. Parents of children with epilepsy often encounter persistent uncertainty regarding seizure control and developmental trajectories, leading to elevated levels of stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms. The chronic nature of the condition may disrupt parental sleep and impair family functioning, while concerns about stigma and social acceptance exacerbate emotional burden. Access to accurate information, supportive healthcare communication and peer networks has been shown to bolster parental coping resources. Psychosocial factors such as financial strain, caregiving load and the availability of co-caregivers further modulate parental well-being. Family resilience and social support can act as protective buffers, mediating the impact of illness severity on mental health. Comprehensive interventions that integrate psycho-education, family-centred support and targeted resilience building are emerging as critical components in optimising outcomes for both children and their caregivers on a global scale.

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Parental Well-Being and Psychosocial Factors in Pediatric Epilepsy publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in parental well-being and psychosocial factors in pediatric epilepsy across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Psychosocial factors: Interplay of psychological and social influences that affect an individual’s functioning and well-being.

Family resilience: Capacity of a family system to adapt, recover and maintain functionality in the face of adversity.

Social support: Provision of emotional, informational and practical assistance by family, friends or community networks.

Perceived stigma: Awareness and internalisation of negative societal attitudes and discrimination related to a health condition.

Coping strategies: Cognitive and behavioural methods employed to manage stressors and regulate emotional responses.

References

1. Stress and perceived stigma among parents of children with epilepsy. Neurological Sciences (2019).
2. Knowledge and information needs of young people with epilepsy and their parents: Mixed-method systematic review. BMC Pediatrics (2010).
3. The cycle of uncertainty: parents’ experiences of childhood epilepsy. Sociology of Health & Illness (2018).
4. Investigation of Anxiety, Depression, Sleep, and Family Function in Caregivers of Children With Epilepsy. Frontiers in Neurology (2021).
5. The Mediating Roles of Family Resilience and Social Support in the Relationship Between Illness Severity and Depressive Symptoms Among Primary Caregivers of Children With Epilepsy in China. Frontiers in Neurology (2022).
6. Parents’/caregivers’ fears and concerns about their child’s epilepsy: A scoping review. PLOS ONE (2022).
7. The experiences of caregivers of children with epilepsy: A meta-synthesis of qualitative research studies. Frontiers in Psychiatry (2022).