Psychosocial needs of young people with epilepsy

: illness experience and transition from paediatric to adult healthcare

Abstract

The relationship between mental illness and epilepsy has been widely studied, along with the recognition that the moment of transition from paediatric healthcare to adult healthcare is a critical point in the lives of people with epilepsy. Taking a qualitative approach with an exploratory design, the objectives of this study are to understand the illness experience of young adults with epilepsy before and during their healthcare transition as there is a lack of qualitative investigations to characterize their experiences and intervention programs to address their psychosocial needs. Although there is substantial research on the needs of this population,. The study included six participants with epilepsy (three women and three men) who are currently receiving adult healthcare in Portugal. Five of them transitioned from paediatric to adult healthcare. Participants were recruited through word of mouth and subsequently interviewed remotely to conduct a thematic analysis. The results reinforced existing research pertaining to the psychosocial needs of young adults with a retrospective look into their transition experience.

Date of Award	9 Oct 2023
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Bárbara Nazaré (Supervisor) & Maria Teresa Vidal Mendes (Co-Supervisor)