# Social and occupational functioning scale for epilepsy: performance in Brazilian adult patients with epilepsy

## TL;DR

This study evaluates how epilepsy affects social and work life in Brazilian adults, finding links between employment, mental health, and seizure frequency.

## Contribution

The study introduces the use of the SOFSE scale in Brazilian adults with epilepsy and identifies key factors affecting their social and occupational functioning.

## Key findings

- Unemployment was high, with males more likely to be employed.
- Better functional adjustment was linked to higher education and fewer anxiety symptoms.
- Seizure frequency and TLE were associated with worse social and occupational functioning.

## Abstract

Epilepsy is a condition that can lead to social difficulties and restrictions.

To evaluate social and occupational functioning and relationships with clinical findings of Brazilian adult patients with epilepsy.

The scores of the Social and Occupational Functioning Scale for Epilepsy (SOFSE) were related to the clinical data of adult patients with epilepsy.

Among the 79 cases included, with a mean age of 44.3 years old, 47 were employed and 32 were unemployed. It was observed that there was a predominance of males among the employed patients (32 [68.1%] versus 15 [31.9];
p
 = 0.008), most patients had a companion (27 [57.4%] versus 20 [42.6%];
p
 = 0.005), and most patients had no anxiety symptoms on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) (30 [63.8%] versus 17 [36.2%];
p
 = 0.011). The total score in the SOFSE was 64.7, with a higher total score among the employed patients (56.6 ± 12.5 versus 70.3 ± 14.3;
p
 < 0.001). There was a correlation between the total SOFSE score with formal education (r = 0.30) and with HADS-anxiety (r = - 0.56) and HADS-depression (r = - 0.36). Lower scores in the communication domain were associated with a high frequency of seizures. There were lower scores in the domain leisure activity in TLE (2.0 ± 2.0 versus. 2.2 ± 1.5;
p
 = 0.014).

The unemployment rate was high in adults with epilepsy. Employment was associated with male gender, having a companion, and absence of anxiety symptoms. Better functional adjustment was associated with schooling. Social and occupational functional impairment was associated with a high frequency of seizures, TLE, and anxious and depressive symptoms.