Beliefs and behaviors of patients' relatives towards childhood epilepsy in Turkey

Stigma perception and health fatalism in parents of children with epilepsy: A cross-sectional study

Aim

The aim of this study was to examine the factors that affect stigma perceptions and health fatalism of parents of children with epilepsy in eastern Turkey, the relationship between these and the impact of these on their social lives.

Method

This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted between August 2022 and January 2023 with the parents of children under the age of 18 who had been diagnosed with epilepsy for at least 1 year and who were followed up in the only hospital with a paediatric neurology outpatient clinic in Van province of Turkey. No sample selection was made in the study. Healthy parents (n = 123) who presented to the outpatient clinic within the specified time period and who agreed to participate in the study after being explained the purpose of the study participated in the study.

Results

In this study, parental age was found to have a statistically weak positive correlation with Health Fatalism Scale (HFS) (r = 0.251; p = 0.005). A weak positive correlation was also found between the years patients had epilepsy and Parent Stigma Scale (PSS) (r = 0.275; p = 0.002). In addition, a statistically positive and weak relationship was found between Parent Stigma Scale scores and Health Fatalism Scale scores (r = 0.212; p = 0.018). This study found significant relationships between stigma perception and health fatalism in parents of epileptic children. Stigma perception increased with disease duration and lower parental education levels.

Conclusion

While providing an important basis for understanding the difficulties experienced by parents and developing support mechanisms, the present study can contribute to more informed support for parents of patients with epilepsy in the community. Nurses can contribute to ending stigma and discrimination by identifying patients' and parents' perceptions of epilepsy, focusing on addressing gaps in knowledge and raising awareness in the community.

The association of perceived stigma, religiosity, and paranormal beliefs in parents of children with epilepsy

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between stigma perception, religiosity, and paranormal beliefs in parents of children with epilepsy.

METHODS

The sample of this cross-sectional study consisted of 103 parents of children with epilepsy registered at a state hospital in a city with middle socio-economic status located in southeastern Türkiye. The data were collected using descriptive information forms for parents and children with epilepsy, the Parent Stigma Scale, the Religious Attitude Scale, and the Paranormal Belief Scale. The Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis analysis of variance, and Spearman's correlation analysis were used to assess the data.

RESULTS

The results of the study revealed that while 78.6 % of the parents were female, 59.2 % of the children with epilepsy were boys. Total mean scores of the participants were 18.48 ± 4.84 in the Parent Stigma Scale, 51.73 ± 14.15 in the Classical (Non-Religious) Paranormal Beliefs Dimension, and 33.89 ± 6.55 in the Religious Attitude Scale. A weak positive correlation was found between total mean scores of the Parent Stigma Scale, the Paranormal Belief Scale and the Religious Attitude Scale (p < 0.05). However, there was no statistically significant correlation between the mean scores of the Paranormal Belief Scale and the Religiosity Attitude Scale (p > 0.05). All of the three scales were positively correlated with the age of the parents and the duration of the illness (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

In this study, it was observed that while the parents had high levels of stigma perception and religious attitudes, they had moderate attitudes toward paranormal beliefs. While no direct correlation was found between religious attitudes and paranormal beliefs, cognitive inclinations toward religion were negatively correlated with paranormal beliefs. Additionally, the parents who perceived a higher level of stigma were more likely to hold stronger religious attitudes and beliefs related to various aspects of paranormal events. In the light of these findings, it is recommended to design educational programs and information campaigns aimed at reducing social stigma and raising awareness about epilepsy in such a way as to take individual belief systems into considerations.

Development of a theory-based family resilience intervention program for parents of children with chronic diseases: A Delphi study

BACKGROUND

Long-term illness exposes children with chronic diseases to a high risk of deterioration of physical and mental health. Developing an effective family resilience intervention program is a critical concern.

OBJECTIVE

To develop a theory-based family resilience intervention program for parents of children with chronic diseases and provide a reference for clinical intervention.

METHODS

A two-phased research design, guided by the Walsh family resilience process model, was employed to develop the intervention program. In phase 1, a scoping literature review was conducted to identify the possible elements of family resilience interventions. In phase 2, a three-round Delphi survey was conducted with experts (n = 14) using an online electronic survey to obtain their consensus on the intervention content.

RESULTS

Three main components were identified: (1) strengthening family beliefs, (2) adjusting the family organization pattern, and (3) improving the family communication process. And 8 modules were developed: "introducing adversity and family resilience", "finding and strengthening positive family beliefs, and building confidence to live with the disease", "analyzing and adjusting family structure", "assisting families to increase and utilizing internal and external resources", "optimizing communication skills", "strengthening collaborative problem-solving capacity", "enhancing the family narrative ability", and "enhancing emotional expression". After 3-round Delphi, the findings indicated that the intervention program is applicable and feasible for parents of children with chronic diseases in China.

CONCLUSION

The principal merit of this study lies in the development of a family resilience intervention program for parents of children with chronic diseases. The intervention's usability and efficacy should be investigated in future studies.

IMPLICATIONS TO PRACTICE

Developing a family resilience intervention program is a critical first step toward providing effective care for parents of children with chronic diseases, and evaluating the program's feasibility and suitability in the target population is warranted.