Abstracts

Rationale: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a frequently encountered comorbidity in childhood epilepsy. We hypothesized that children having ADHD symptomatology in addition to epilepsy would have more problems with self-concept, mood, and family satisfaction when compared to their peers with epilepsy only. Our secondary hypothesis proposed that the caregivers of the children with both conditions would also experience more alterations in mood and family satisfaction when compared with the caregivers of children with epilepsy only. Methods: The sample consisted of 170 children (aged 9 to 14 years) who had a diagnosis of epilepsy for at least 6 months and their primary caregivers. Those children who met the cutoff for ADHD on the Child or Adolescent Symptom Inventory were placed in the ADHD group (n = 64), the remainder of participants constituted the epilepsy only group (n = 106). Data were collected by telephone interview. Caregivers completed the Family APGAR and the Multiple Affect Adjective Checklist. Children completed the Family APGAR (child version), the Piers-Harris Self-Concept Scale, and the Child Depression Inventory. Independent sample t-tests were used to compare the groups on the variables of interest. Results: Children with both ADHD symptomatology and epilepsy had significantly higher scores on the Child Depression Inventory, indicating higher levels of depressive symptoms (ADHD group, M = 10.81, non-ADHD group, M = 7.14, t = 3.2, p < .01). Furthermore, those with ADHD had significantly lower self-concepts as indicated by their total scores on the Piers-Harris (ADHD group, M = 55.41, non-ADHD group, M = 61.15, t = -2.96, p < .01). The level of family satisfaction was virtually identical between the groups of children (mean for each group = 2.99). Caregivers of children with both conditions did have significantly lower family satisfaction when compared to caregivers of children with epilepsy only (ADHD group, M = 2.80, non-ADHD group, M = 3.10, t = -2.63, p = .01). In addition, caregivers of children with epilepsy and ADHD symptomatology had higher anxiety (ADHD group, M = 4.35, non-ADHD group, M = 3.21, t = 2.62, p = .01), and depressive symptoms (ADHD group, M = 6.0, non-ADHD group M = 4.39, t = 1.98, p = .05). Caregiver hostility did not vary by group (ADHD group, M = 2.46, non-ADHD group, M = 2.25). Conclusions: Having both epilepsy and ADHD symptoms was associated with increased levels of depressive symptoms in both children and their caregivers in our sample. Children with both conditions also had poorer self-concepts, and their caregivers had higher levels of anxiety. Our findings emphasize the need for mental health services as part of the comprehensive care for children with epilepsy.