+1-817-968-5551
+61-488-839-671
+44-7480-542904About Expert
Key Topics
Requirement
A 3500 word report addressing one psychosocial issue that may affect a person with epilepsy. Students will compare their current practice, in supporting a person to manage the selected psychosocial issue, to evidence for best practice. Students will make recommendations for future practice.
In order to explore the evidence base for your chosen topic, you will need to look at a range of sources of information including journal articles, reviews and clinical guidelines (where relevant). This may take you some time and you are advised to plan your time effectively.
The learning units for this Management of Psychosocial Issues module should be your guide to deciding what kind of issues are appropriate for your assignment. You may already have ideas of the areas you want to explore. If you do not have a lot of direct experience to draw on you can undertake the assignment from a theoretical perspective.
Areas which would be relevant to explore may relate to:
•clients who have poorly controlled seizures. There may be issues related to safety and independence. They may be very anxious about having a seizure whilst out of the house and as result they don’t go out alone and this limits their social contacts.
•newly diagnosed clients/ patients or people with refractory epilepsy and the social effects of a diagnosis e.g. on employment / relationships/ finance/ education/ leisure activities
•parents who are very overprotective and do not allow their child to undertake normal activities. You may work with schools in undertaking risk assessments.
•clients who suffer from anxiety and depression
These examples are not exhaustive and you can consider any psychosocial issue. I would be wary of trying to cover too many areas so it may be best to focus on one aspect e.g. risk assessment, depression, employment, education. You will have the opportunity to submit a plan outlining the area you plan to cover in week 10. This will allow you to get feedback on your choice of psychosocial issue and ensure you are not trying to cover too many areas.
Solution
Introduction
Epilepsy is one of the most common and chronic illnesses in the world, it has affected around 50 million individuals globally. This illness is considered as recurrent and intermittent seizures that are unprovoked by an acute medical health condition. It has been seen that one in a twenty-six individuals develop this illness in their lifetime. People suffering from epilepsy are seen to have psychiatric, social and most importantly psychological problems due to illness and its medications. (CL, 2002)
Epilepsy is not only defined by the recurring seizures but encompasses a plethora of issues in psychiatric status, cognition and social adaptive functioning. This causes people suffering from epilepsy with low self-esteem. (Healthline, n.d.)
All the mentioned psychosocial complications and issues have a long history that has generated a range of action by the public health agencies, national commissions and special action groups. The onset, as well as development of these psychosocial activities, focuses on the following points:
neurobiological factors that contribute to these psychological problems in epilepsy but its contribution is not clearly understood;
These neurobiological factors are thought to be important as these operate efficiently in social settings. (Stevanovic, Jancic, and Lakic, 2011)
The aim of this paper is to provide insights to the psychosocial issues that the patients are suffering from epilepsy encounters. The term "psychosocial" encompasses the feeling about oneself, issues revolving around the relationships with other individuals like family, colleagues, etc. This issue cannot be termed as problems as anyone can deal with emotional difficulties due to low self-esteem. It is usually seen that the people suffering from epilepsy are embarrassed, and even fearful regarding their seizures and they always content with the fear and ignorance of other people. Some of the people have been noticed to deal with these issues effectively. However, some require help from nurses, doctors or any other professional counselor. (Depression and Mood Disorders, 2002)
The social attitude towards epilepsy is the main reason of depression in the patients than the illness itself. The major psychosocial issues that are linked to epilepsy are overprotection, insufficient treatment, education, employment, and marriage. The vigilance on these patients leads the patients to be dependent on others forever. Due to limited information on seizures, the education is affected in the patients. Due to uncontrollable seizures, the employers hesitate to employ them.
One of the major issues in psychosocial issues that affects the person with epilepsy is the feeling of being stigmatized by the society and people leading to low-esteem and society withdrawal and ultimately depression. Due to this, the people with epilepsy develop a social maladjustment and are caused by the perceptions and attitude of the society. This issue makes the society perceive people with epilepsy as having ill-mental health along with being antisocial. A study has depicted that around twenty-five percent of the people having epilepsy have described social stigma due to their epilepsy. These people fear rejection from their family and friends. This psychosocial issue makes them feel lonely and being outcast from the general society. This stigma is related to the poor psychosocial health outcome in the people suffering from epilepsy. The stigma has been classified as internalized, institutional and interpersonal. The same study has cleared that there is a relation between this type of stigma and poor quality of life. Due to their poorly controlled seizures the people having epilepsy there is always a concern for their safety as well as independence. This makes them dependent on someone as leaving them alone while any activity might be problematic. (Theodore, 2010) Thus, these patients become anxious and concerned about having a seizure when they are out of their own, thereby limiting their social circle and making them dependent on somebody else. In the nutshell, all these issues lead to the ultimate psychological problem i.e. depression among these people. This paper discusses this issue in a detailed manner and tries to provide insights to the readers regarding the need for support from society and encouragement to these patients will break the vicious circle of this stigma.
For the best and most affordable social psychology assignment help, visit Allassignmenthelp.com and place your order. Opt for our university essay writing help service and watch how your grades improve over time. We have helped many students achieve their desired grades. So, without wasting any time, take psychology dissertation help from our website and solve all your academic worries.
Literature Review
Fatoye et al. in their controlled study with around fifty-two epileptic patients that were taken from Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and it was seen that a statistically considerable difference in the depression as well as anxiety symptoms between the healthy control and epilepsy. It was observed that the symptoms of depression were considerably related to the longer period of epilepsy. Similarly, Okubadejo, using Zung’s self rating depression scale (SDS), has evaluated 212 people with epilepsy stating that around 26% were found to have significant depressive symptoms. Olley also examined the psychosocial and the seizure factors various Depression and Neurotic Disorders in Nigeria. He recorded main effects for stigma, seizure, vocational adjustment, adjustment to seizures, interpersonal adjustments, etc. on depression. In a study from the Cleveland Clinic, driving restrictions, unemployment and depression are pointed out as the most significant determinants of Quality of Life (Jehi et al. 2011). Baker (2005) has stated that the younger generation living with epilepsy are found to have a considerably higher incidence of depression associated with the social anxiety, interpersonal problems, and more obsessive symptoms ass compared to the adolescents without epilepsy. It has been found that around two-third of the total patients with epilepsy who are free from seizures have successfully led the quality of life (QOL) similar to the normal people. In a study by Van Elst, it has been stated that Depression but not seizure frequency is the factor that predicts the quality of life (QOL) in treatment-resistant epilepsy.
It was indicated in this study that depression was the most powerful predictor of Quality of life (QOL) with around 54%, and 19% were found to have suicidal thoughts.
Similarly, in one of the study, the depression is regarded as the most frequent psychiatric disorder in epilepsy. The lifetime prevalence was estimated out to be 6-30 percent. In the same study, it was seen that the risk of suicide was ten times greater than the normal people (Kanner, 2003).
Discussion
Depression is increased in individuals with epilepsy and has a lifetime prevalence of around 30% (TellezZenteno, Patten, Jette, Williams, and Wiebe, 2007). Regardless of the frequency and significance of this issue in persons with epilepsy, it remained underdiagnosed and undertreated (Barry, Ettinger, and Friel, 2008).
Screening for depression utilizing the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2), Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy (NDDI-E), or similar tools and instrument ought to be undertaken for all patients (grown-ups and young people matured 13-17 years) with epilepsy by their primary health care facilities and doctors. This screening ought to be led after the diagnosis, and from that point on a yearly basis (Kerr et al., 2011). Utilization of antidepressant drugs is extremely safe in patients with epilepsy when utilized at therapeutic doses. Anti-depressant medications of the SSRI or SNRI families are the main line of treatment in depressive issue (Kanner, 2013). Nonpharmacological methodologies, for example, cognitive behavioral treatment may likewise be suitable. Depressed patients ought to be dealt with or suggested suitable for treatment.
This section of the paper discusses the current practice being conducted for supporting the depressed patient with epilepsy.
Role of health sector
The healthcare sector has currently being conceptualizing the goals for the patient as well as their family education and focuses on the patient-centered care where the health care providers partner with the depressed patient with epilepsy and their families as well so as to provide a care that is “respectful and is responsive to the preferences, values and the needs of the patients” ensuring that the patient values are guiding the clinical decisions. The patient-centered care has three approaches which include communication, health promotion, and partnership. The depressed patient with epilepsy and their families are consistently being educated by the healthcare provider.
Cochrane (1995) stresses that education on epilepsy benefits the people with epilepsy to be fearless, competent in self-administration, fully aware of their needs, and ready to access all the assets to address their needs— it helps them turn out to be better partners in patient-focused care. Additionally, having exact, in-depth data about epilepsy benefits the people to comprehend better regarding the illness, prevents confusions and misconceptions, and decreases worries about stigma. At last, epilepsy educates benefits quality of life and optimal well-being. The vision of heath care sector is for all people with epilepsy and their families to have a direct access to applicable and usable information for meeting their individual needs and permitting them to take part successfully in patient-centered care, to be competent in their management system of their epilepsy, and to achieve the most ideal emotional and physical well-being.
Whereas the youngsters about to transition into adulthood require data and information that would be beneficial for them to assume suitable and appropriate responsibility to manage epilepsy and for leading a happy and healthy lifestyle. Jurasek et al. (2010) found that the needs and values of the patients with epilepsy are focused better in an “in-transition group” are more beneficial than health sector, and the study believes that the youth must be knowledgeable regarding the following points:
-
Epilepsy management—thorough knowledge regarding their specific epilepsy condition (e.g., specific syndrome, seizure type, and triggers) and the treatment plans that will help them make learned decisions regarding the care. This way their depression level will automatically be lowered down.
-
Subjects that emerge during adolescence—Knowledge regarding the topics like sexuality, drug use, alcohol and, and driving, all topics in the context of living with epilepsy, benefits a support informed decision-making.
-
Living independently— the capabilities and skills facilitating independent living like education, employment decisions, living a healthy lifestyle, that includes management of stress, depression etc. and self-management skills, knowing how to fill prescriptions, getting to appointments and medication adherence strategies etc.
Limitations: Traditionally the individuals with epilepsy and depression along with their families used to receive data and information and education on the illness from the health care providers. However, there is a lot of people who prefer taking knowledge and education from their health care providers (Fraser et al., 2011; Kendall et al., 2004), but nowadays the trends have changed, and it has become impractical for healthcare providers to provide an extensive education on depression due to epilepsy. It has been seen that the consultation times along with the healthcare provider and one taking care of the depression factor are very brief and patients have reported that these visits are usually rushed and are not turning out to be beneficial to the depressed patients (Escoffery et al., 2008; Gilliam et al., 2009; Prinjha et al., 2005). Recently it has been seen that the depressed patient of epilepsy has clinical interviews with their neurologists and psychologist of the average time of fewer than 12 minutes (Gilliam and colleagues, 2009).
Some of the settings like the epilepsy centers and large health care systems have started to employ nurses who are specialized experts on epilepsy and depression for providing effective education and treatment to the patients. Though it has been seen that such nurses or personnel are not available in primary care providing facilities and general psychologist.
These practices have not been beneficial as there is a discomfort from the patients' side regarding asking questions and thus there is a lack of effective communication. (DiIorio et al., 2003; Swarztrauber, 2004). Hence, people have started to seek information and data from the outside sources so as to help the patient. In fact, it has been seen that the health care providers themselves have started to recommend the patients and their families for seeking information from the outside sources for complementing their own educational efforts.
Role of Community Epilepsy Agency and Social Worker
Epilepsy is not a seizure disorder but rather the one that is known to be related to major psychosocial challenges (Jacoby, Baker, Steen, Potts, & Chadwick, 1996). The major psychosocial issues that were related to epilepsy include: Inadequate treatment, over protection, Quality of medical management, coping, social support, education, social stigma, family burden, employment etc.
A Community Epilepsy Agency and social worker can:
Provide epilepsy education and high moral against depression and first aid training to all the family, friends, workers and other relevant groups.
Provide a detailed counseling for anxiety and depression, management of stress, problem-solving; self-esteem, etc.
Facilitation of connection to support groups and peer supports on the basis of needs that are identified.
Advocate for depressed patients and their families at schools, institutions, workplaces and other community agencies where the patients are experiencing discrimination and stigma that is the primary reason for depression relating to epilepsy.
Assisting the patients for accessing along with navigating the community resources (apply for disability, Trillium Drug Program, respite, etc.).
The counseling sessions by these social workers give a critical spot to persons with epilepsy to talk freely about social and individual issues that the doctor might not have the time or special expertise to address. Advising sessions might be particularly beneficial for youngsters, helping them to comprehend issues of maturity, development, and personal growth. In some cases, social specialists recognize when the overprotectiveness of parents is unfavorably influencing a youngster with epilepsy. They are likewise used to deal with other residential issues. Advising sessions examine, discuss, better comprehend, put in perspective and adapt to disturbing issues that by one means or another identify with or influence the treatment of epilepsy.
Once epilepsy is diagnosed, patients and their families will have questions concerning its determination and how it will influence their lives. The absence of sufficient knowledge builds the level of shame and negative states in the mind of patients and his family about the condition (Austin, Carr, and Hermann, 2006). It is the responsibility of the human health provider and doctors to guarantee that patients and their families are given clear, precise and convenient data about their condition and how they can access the required information and resources as this influence affects the long-term adjustments to epilepsy and depression. Counseling and education will change over the lifespan.
It is essential to look for therapeutic advice before beginning any treatment. Some of the time working with your specialist for getting better control of uncontrolled seizures enhances the issue of depression. At the point when that does not work, the antidepressant medication and/or psychotherapy might be extremely useful.
Antidepressants are doctor prescribed medicines used for treating depression. The kind of prescription chosen will rely on upon the sort of temperamental issue, the patient has, the possible side effects of the prescription, and how it might influence your seizures or seizure medicine. Pretty much as in treating seizures, your specialist may need to attempt more than one distinctive medicine before finding the best and most effective medication or combination of medications that work for the patient. Antidepressants must not be stopped abruptly, or symptoms may return in view of withdrawal side-effects. To accomplish the best results, utilize the medicine as coordinated by your doctor.
Psychotherapy is otherwise called counseling or "talk" treatment. Working with a prepared mental health expert can bolster you through a troublesome period. It can help you comprehend parts of your life circumstances in a new manner and trying out with methods for speculation and reacting that may prompt more noteworthy well-being. The local sources of free or minimal effort counseling services in the society can be found by reaching the BC Mental Health.
Can the patient Help himself? A positive way of life changes, for example, working out, adhering to an everyday schedule, eating healthy dinners, getting enough rest, staying away from liquor and non-physician recommended medications, and setting aside a few minutes to do things you appreciate can enhance the state of mind. Overcoming depression is possible along with restorative medical treatment, finding out about the condition and by looking for support. If you think you have depression, see your family specialist or neurologist. The patient might allude to a therapist or clinician who are considerably specialized in treating depression and related issues. Living with epilepsy and having a depression and mood disorders, for example, depression may appear to be overpowering at first. Adapting whatever you can about your condition and looking for answers to your inquiries will help you alter over time.
Limitation: The pre-requisites of considering a counseling group is to check the credentials of the therapist. The therapist must be licensed for practice in his own state. Educating the parents and friends about mood issue may permit them to be more open to psychiatric treatment for their youngster or themselves. The early recognizable and treatment of youth onset depression is an imperative clinical task for all pediatric specialists.
Counseling in epilepsy implies support for individuals with epilepsy and their families to help with enthusiastic and social results of epilepsy. The objectives of advising are to give direction to families with youngsters with epilepsy in settling on educated decisions, to advance self-administration rehearses that will diminish wellbeing hazards and to give far-reaching answers about pertinent issues. Individuals and relatives are urged to exploit the guiding sessions, to get assistance from advisors who comprehend and can identify with those with extraordinary needs. The directing sessions might be performed at individual, family and a gathering of six to eight individuals. Imparting of experience to different patients is the most significant component. Heterogeneity concerning age, sex and skill build the collaboration inside the groups.
These counseling and groups can help to
Create a higher understanding of the depression and epilepsy-related seizures and their impacts.
Assisting families cope with the numerous features of epilepsy.
Assisting persons for overpowering the obstacles caused by depression and gets more out of life. Expert staff or therapists, having a deep concern for others and have been provided with special training for better understanding the needs of those with depression and related disorders, are usually responsible for the counseling activities. Each therapist has to be skilled in applying the remedial resources of faith with psychological methods for helping families resolve the problems. The following modest tactic may be of assistance;
(APAC model): -
-
Ask the child guardian or caregiver what she/he does?
-
Praise for decent accurate exercise.
-
Advice on what needs to be done.
-
Check the understanding (Babikir, 2016)
Time is significant when addressing issues like anxiety, wrath, rejection and confusion. Many fears arise out of community misconceptions regarding epilepsy which may be alleviated with proper information, along with support and reassurance. The counselor's actions should include:
-
Categorize problems
-
Offer deal with strategies
-
Overcome blocks to modification
-
Set and assessment decided tasks.
Coping strategies are important in epilepsy counseling. They empower the patient to manage his or her issues particularly. When it is comprehended that decisions are accessible, the patient may investigate these alternatives with the guide. In time, a more adjusted perspective of the potential interruption of epilepsy into ordinary life might be accomplished, and general nervousness levels brought down as the patient feels more in control.
Place Order For A Top Grade Assignment Now
We have some amazing discount offers running for the students
Place Your OrderConclusion
The results of this research demonstrates that social workers and the health care providers who have a specialized knowledge of epilepsy and depression due to epilepsy and how it influences on an individual’s life, are restored placed for supporting a service user with epilepsy for accessing information, support and supervision to enable them to live as normal a life if possible. The outcomes are a valuable source of information for social workers and the health care providers in the community who are currently, or may in the future be, working with adults with epilepsy and their depression issue to enable them to deliver a complete evaluation of their needs.
Recommendations
-
The following recommendations have been proposed, which might rule out additional potential causes for a depressive episode:
-
The society and community awareness so as to remove the stigma and outcast feeling in the patients;
-
Providing healthy lifestyle to the patient along with prescribed medications so as to improve the mood issues which ultimately lead to depression;
-
The prerequisite for interventions for promoting an internal locus of control in youngsters with epilepsy etc.
References
-
Austin, J., Carr, D. and Hermann, B. (2006). Living Well II: A review of progress since 2003. Epilepsy & Behavior, 9(3), pp.386-393.
-
Babikir, H. (2016). Health Education and Counseling in Childhood Epilepsy. Sudanese Journal of Public Health, 4(2).
-
Baker, G. A., et al. (2005), ’Impact of epilepsy in adolescence: a UK controlled study’, Epilepsy Behav, 6 (4), 556-62.
-
Barry, J., Ettinger, A., Friel, P., Gilliam, F., Harden, C., Hermann, B., Kanner, A., Caplan, R., Plioplys, S., Salpekar, J., Dunn, D., Austin, J. and Jones, J. (2008). Consensus statement: The evaluation and treatment of people with epilepsy and affective disorders. Epilepsy & Behavior, 13, pp.S1-S29.
-
CL, H. (2002). The co-morbidity of depression and epilepsy: epidemiology, etiology, and treatment. - PubMed - NCBI. [online] Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12270969 [Accessed 20 Apr. 2016].
-
Cmd.cochrane.org. (2016). Welcome to CCMD | Cochrane Common Mental Disorders. [online] Available at: http://cmd.cochrane.org/ [Accessed 20 Apr. 2016].
-
Depression and Mood Disorders. (2002). Epilepsy & Behavior, 3(1), pp.2-3.
-
DiIorio C, Osborne Shafer P, Letz R, Henry T, Schomer DL, Yeager K. The association of stigma with self-management and perceptions of health care among adults with epilepsy.Epilepsy and Behavior. 2003;4(3):259–267.
-
Escoffery C, Diiorio C, Yeager KA, McCarty F, Robinson E, Reisinger E, Henry T, Koganti A. Use of computers and the Internet for health information by patients with epilepsy. Epilepsy and Behavior. 2008;12(1):109–114
-
Fraser RT, Johnson EK, Miller JW, Temkin N, Barber J, Caylor L, Ciechanowski P, Chaytor N. Managing epilepsy well: Self-management needs assessment. Epilepsy and Behavior. 2011;20(2):291–298
-
Gilliam F, Penovich PE, Eagan CA, Stern JM, Labiner DM, Onofrey M, Holmes GL, Mathis E, Cramer J. Conversations between community-based neurologists and patients with epilepsy: Results of an observational linguistic study. Epilepsy and Behavior. 2009;16(2):315–320.
-
Healthline. (n.d.). The Epilepsy Depression Connection. [online] Available at: http://www.healthline.com/health/epilepsy-depression-connection#Epilepsy1 [Accessed 20 Apr. 2016].
-
Jacoby, A., Baker, G., Steen, N., Potts, P. and Chadwick, D. (1996). The Clinical Course of Epilepsy and Its Psychosocial Correlates: Findings from a U.K. Community Study. Epilepsia, 37(2), pp.148-161.
-
Jehi, L., et al. (2011), ’Quality of life in 1931 adult patients with epilepsy: seizures do not tell the whole story’, Epilepsy Behav, 22 (4), 723-7.
-
Jurasek, L., Ray, L. and Quigley, D. (2010). Development and Implementation of an Adolescent Epilepsy Transition Clinic. Journal of Neuroscience Nursing, 42(4), pp.181-189.
-
Kanner, A. (2003). Depression in epilepsy: prevalence, clinical semiology, pathogenic mechanisms, and treatment. Biological Psychiatry, 54(3), pp.388-398.
-
Kendall S, Thompson D, Couldridge L. The information needs of carers of adults diagnosed with epilepsy.Seizure. 2004;13(7):499–508.
-
Kerr, M. P., et al. (2011), ’International consensus clinical practice statements for the treatment of neuropsychiatric conditions associated with epilepsy’, Epilepsia, 52 (11), 2133-8.
-
Lee, S., Lee, S. and No, Y. (2009). Factors contributing to depression in patients with epilepsy. Epilepsia, 51(7), pp.1305-1308.
-
Okubadejo NU, Danesi MA, Aina OF, Ojini FI, Adeyemi JD, Olorunshola DA . Prospective case-control study of interictal depression and suicidal ideation in Nigerians with epilepsy. Niger. Postgrad. Med. J. 2007; 14(3):204-8. 29.
-
Olley BO. Psychosocial and seizure factors related to depression and neurotic disorders among patients with chronic epilepsy in Nigeria. Afr, J. Med. Sci 2004; 34(1):39-44. 30.
-
Prinjha S, Chapple A, Herxheimer A, McPherson A. Many people with epilepsy want to know more: A qualitative study. Family Practice. 2005;22(4):435–441.
-
Stevanovic, D., Jancic, J. and Lakic, A. (2011). The impact of depression and anxiety disorder symptoms on the health-related quality of life of children and adolescents with epilepsy. Epilepsia, 52(8), pp.e75-e78.
-
Swarztrauber K. Barriers to the management of patients with surgically remediable intractable epilepsy. CNS Spectrums. 2004;9(2):146–152
-
Tellez-Zenteno, J., Patten, S., Jetté, N., Williams, J. and Wiebe, S. (2007). Psychiatric Comorbidity in Epilepsy: A Population-Based Analysis. Epilepsia, 0(0), p.070728063136006-???.
-
Theodore, W. (2010). 39. Imaging studies of depression in epilepsy. Epilepsy & Behavior, 17(4), p.590.
-
van Elst, L., Trimble, M., Boylan, L., Labovitz, D., Flint, L. and Devinsky, O. (2004). Depression but not seizure frequency predicts quality of life in treatment-resistant epilepsy. Neurology, 63(5), pp.942-943.
Give your grades a boost
Just share your requirements and get customized solutions on time.
-
1,168,768 Orders
-
4.9/5 Overall Rating
-
5,052 Experts
