Some psychosocial predictors of anxiety disorder in epilepsy

Abstract

This study was designed to expose the variables or predictors that mediate in anxiety disorders among epileptics in Nigeria. Such variables or predictors are age, level of social support and perceived level of stigmatization were examined with reference to their roles in causing anxiety disorder among epileptics in Nigeria.
Two hundred and forty subjects were drawn from the six geo-political zones making up the country. They were selected from the out -patients attending clinics in six teaching hospitals located in the six geo-political zones. Data were collected with questionnaire that was designed by the researchers. The data collected were analyzed using the t-independent for two samples, the one-way ANOVA and Tukey HSD Test.
From the literature reviewed, three hypotheses were advanced and the results show that:
(a) The level of anxiety among younger epileptics was higher than among older epileptics.
(b) Epileptics who perceived the illness, as highly stigmatizing exhibit higher level of anxiety disorder than those who either perceives it as moderately or lowly stigmatizing.
(c) Epileptics who enjoy low level of social support were not found to manifest higher level of anxiety disorder than those who report that they enjoy high or moderate level of anxiety disorder.
Finally, recommendations were made with respect to what proactive steps could be taken to help this class of epileptics.


Keywords: Anxiety disorder, epilepsy, psychosocial and disorder

> IFI PsychologIA Vol. 27 2006: pp. 12-24