Investigation of adolescent cases diagnosed with idiopathic/genetic generalized epilepsy in terms of self-esteem, aggression, body perception, and alexithymia

TL;DR

This study found that Turkish adolescents with well-controlled idiopathic/genetic generalized epilepsy had similar self-esteem, body image, and emotional regulation as healthy peers.

Contribution

The study shows that well-controlled epilepsy without psychiatric issues does not inherently cause psychosocial problems in adolescents.

Findings

No significant differences were found in self-esteem, body image, alexithymia, or aggression between adolescents with IGE and controls.

Psychosocial difficulties in epilepsy may be more linked to comorbidities and context rather than the diagnosis alone.

Adolescents with IGE and minimal psychiatric issues showed comparable psychosocial functioning to healthy peers.

Abstract

This study examined self-esteem, body image, alexithymia, and aggression in adolescents with idiopathic/genetic generalized epilepsy (IGE). These domains were selected because they may be affected not only by epilepsy itself but also by stigma, difficulties in emotional regulation, or treatment-related effects. Assessing these domains together was intended to examine whether IGE might be associated with additional psychosocial strain in otherwise clinically stable adolescents. We carried out a case–control study including 45 adolescents with IGE and 45 controls matched for age and sex. Controls were selected from outpatient services and were required to have no neurological disorders. Psychiatric disorders were assessed using the K-SADS (Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia) interview; no clinically significant psychiatric diagnoses were identified in the control group. All participants completed standardized Turkish questionnaires on the same day.Within the epilepsy group, 20.0% were diagnosed with juvenile absence epilepsy (JAE), 22.2% with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME), and 57.8% with epilepsy with generalized tonic-clonic seizures alone (EGTCSA). Across all four psychological measures, the epilepsy and control groups showed no statistically significant differences (all p > 0.05). No significant differences were found in subgroup analyses based on epilepsy syndrome or seizure frequency. Conclusion: Adolescents with well-controlled IGE and minimal psychiatric comorbidities demonstrated comparable levels of psychosocial functioning to their healthy peers. This finding is consistent with evidence suggesting that psychosocial difficulties in epilepsy are often linked to comorbidity and contextual factors rather than to the diagnosis alone. Studies conducted in broader settings and with larger, more varied samples will be needed to better understand how medical, emotional, and environmental factors jointly influence psychosocial outcomes in this population.
What is known:• Adolescents with epilepsy are frequently considered at increased risk for psychosocial difficulties, including lower self-esteem, emotional instability, and body image concerns.What is new:• In this study, no significant differences were found in self-esteem, body image, alexithymia, or aggression among Turkish adolescents with idiopathic/genetic generalized epilepsy compared with healthy controls. These findings suggest that, when seizures are well controlled and psychiatric comorbidities are limited, epilepsy itself may not confer additional psychosocial vulnerability.

What is known:

• Adolescents with epilepsy are frequently considered at increased risk for psychosocial difficulties, including lower self-esteem, emotional instability, and body image concerns.

What is new:

• In this study, no significant differences were found in self-esteem, body image, alexithymia, or aggression among Turkish adolescents with idiopathic/genetic generalized epilepsy compared with healthy controls. These findings suggest that, when seizures are well controlled and psychiatric comorbidities are limited, epilepsy itself may not confer additional psychosocial vulnerability.