Psychosocial Adjustment to Seizure Disorders: Assessment and Implications for Psychotherapy

One of the main goals of psychotherapy in the clinical setting is to enable clients to improve those areas of day-to-day functioning which serve to better their overall quality of life. The psychosocial aspects of seizure disorders can have a tremendous impact on those areas of a client's life...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychotherapy in private practice 1998-11, Vol.17 (3), p.55-71
Main Author: DeCosta, James R.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biological and medical sciences
Medical sciences
Miscellaneous
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Psychotherapies. Psychological and clinical counseling
Treatments
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Summary:One of the main goals of psychotherapy in the clinical setting is to enable clients to improve those areas of day-to-day functioning which serve to better their overall quality of life. The psychosocial aspects of seizure disorders can have a tremendous impact on those areas of a client's life which serve as a foundation to overall psychosocial adjustment and mental health. Neuropsychologists, because of their specialized training in the area of neuroanatomy and brain functioning, are more likely to be aware of the neurological correlates of seizure disorders, However, the underlying psychosocial issues may often be less apparent and may not be adequately addressed in therapy. The present literature review summarizes the clinical usefulness of the Washington Psychosocial Seizure Inventory (WPSI) as a measure of adjustment to seizure disorders in adults. The WPSI is used to measure functioning on a variety of psychological and social domains specific to individuals with seizure disorders (Dodrill, Batzel, Queisser, & Temkin, 1980). The paper concludes with treatment recommendations and important areas of consideration for therapists working with clients from this population.
ISSN:0731-7158
DOI:10.1300/J294v17n03_05