Marital Quality and Stress in Parents of Children with Epilepsy and Normal Controls: A Comparative Study

Background: Epilepsy is a commonest form of neurological disorder characterized by recurrent seizures of cerebral origin, presenting with episodes of sensory, motor or autonomic phenomenon with or without loss of consciousness. Seizures in epilepsy are caused by outbursts of excessive electrical activity in part or the whole of the brain. The majority of individuals the epilepsy do not have any obvious or demonstrable abnormality in the brain, besides the electrical changes. Aim: The aim of the present study was to assess the marital quality of life & stress of the parents of the children with epilepsy and normal control. Sample: The sample consisted of 30 parents of the children being diagnosed with epilepsy and 30 parents of normal controls. Tools: Tools used were GHQ 28, Parenting Stress Index and Marital Quality Scale. Result and Conclusion: The findings of the present study indicates that poorer level of quality of life, significant negative correlation between burden items and significant positive correlation between occupation of parents and parental distress of the sub scale of parenting stress index with  the parents of Epileptic children compared to parents with normal children.