Emotional Structure and Coping Strategies in Patients With Pseudo-Epileptic Seizures, Epilepsy and Control Groups

Objective: To compare the emotional structure and coping strategies in patients with psychogenic non epileptic seizures, epilepsy and control group. Methods: Among patients with complaining of epilepsy attacks that referred to clinic of Imam Reza (Peace be upon him) in Shiraz, 30 patients with psychogenic non epileptic seizures and 30 patients with epilepsy were selected .A total of 30 patients were considered as the control group. Data were collected via positive and negative affective scale (PANAS), coping strategies questionnaire. Then, they were evaluated by SPSS descriptive and one way ANOVA. Results: Indicated that the patients with PNES and epileptics rather to control group had higher negative affect and lower positive affect significantly. A significant difference is shown in the structures of emotional test and coping strategies of people with psychogenic non epileptic seizures, epilepsy and control groups. Conclusions: People with epilepsy and psychogenic non epileptic seizures than the control group obtained higher scores on the subscale of negative emotions and positive emotions subscale scores were lower. For the structure of coping strategies patients with psychogenic non epileptic seizures ineffective use of coping strategies so that most of the patients use the withdraw from the everyday stress and steer.