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Employability among people with uncontrolled seizures: An interpretative phenomenological approach

Wo MC, Lim KS, Choo WY, Tan CT

Epilepsy Behav, 2015 Apr;45:21-30.
PMID: 25794681 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2015.02.016

This study aimed to explore positive and negative factors affecting the employability in patients with uncontrolled seizures.
Employability in people with epilepsy: A systematic review

Wo MC, Lim KS, Choo WY, Tan CT

Epilepsy Res, 2015 Oct;116:67-78.
PMID: 26354169 DOI: 10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2015.06.016

People with epilepsy were (PWE) reported to have poorer employment rate. However, the methodologies used differ greatly from one study to another, making global comparison difficult. We aimed to determine the employment rate of PWE globally using a unified definition of employment rate and to summarize the reported positive and negative factors affecting employability in PWE, using a systematic review.
Factors affecting the employability in people with epilepsy

Wo MC, Lim KS, Choo WY, Tan CT

Epilepsy Res, 2016 Dec;128:6-11.
PMID: 27792885 DOI: 10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2016.10.003

PURPOSE: People with epilepsy (PWE) are negatively prejudiced in their ability to work. This study aimed to examine demographic, clinical and psychological factors associated with employability in PWE.

METHODS: This study recruited epilepsy patients from a neurology clinic in Malaysia. Employability was measured using employment ratio, with a ratio ≥90% (ER90) classified as high employability. Basic demographic data such as age, gender, marital status, religion, education level and household income was collected. Clinical measures consisted of age of seizure onset, seizure frequency, type of epilepsy, aura, polytherapy, nocturnal seizures and seizure control. Psychological measures included Work Self-Determination Index (WSDI), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (SES), and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS).

RESULTS: Of 146 PWE, 64.4% had high employability. The participants were predominantly female (52%), Chinese (50.7%), single (50%), having tertiary education (55.5%) and focal epilepsy (72.6%). Clinically, only type of epilepsy was significantly correlated to employability of PWE. Employability of PWE was associated with ability to work (indicated by education level, work performance affected by seizures, ability to travel independently and ability to cope with stress at work) and family overprotection. The high employability group was found to have lower self-perceived stigma (ESS), higher self-determined motivation (WSDI), self-esteem (SES) and perceived social support (MSPSS), than the low employability group. Logistic regression analysis showed that tertiary education level (AOR 3.42, CI: 1.46-8.00), higher self-determination (WSDI, AOR 1.09, CI: 1.012-1.17), lower family overprotection (AOR 0.76, CI: 0.61-0.95), and generalised epilepsy (AOR 4.17, CI: 1.37-12.70) were significant predictors for higher employability in PWE.

CONCLUSION: Ability to work (education level), clinical factor (type of epilepsy) and psychological factor (self-determined motivation and family overprotection) were important factors affecting employability in PWE.

Study site: neurology clinic Universiti Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC)
Burden in caregivers of adults with epilepsy in Asian families

Lai ST, Tan WY, Wo MC, Lim KS, Ahmad SB, Tan CT

Seizure, 2019 Oct;71:132-139.
PMID: 31325820 DOI: 10.1016/j.seizure.2019.07.008

PURPOSE: The literature on caregiver burden tends to focus on children and teenagers with epilepsy and less on adults. As caregiving is a dynamic, complex process across the trajectories, this study aims to examine the factors associated with caregiving burden in those caring for adults with epilepsy.
METHOD: This is a cross-sectional, survey-based study in which participants responded to questionnairesregarding perceived burden (ZBI), quality of life (IEQoL), psychological distress (DASS-21), family functioning (FAD) and perceived social support (MSPSS). Additional measures include socio-demographics and clinical characteristics of the care-recipient.
RESULTS: A total of 111 caregivers participated, of whom 72.1% were females, 55% parents, 59.5% Chinese, 51.4% unemployed and 46.0% with tertiary education.Approximately half (42.3%) reported mild-to-moderate levels of burden (mean ZBI score 29.93, SD 16.09).Furthermore, multiple regression analysisidentified10 predictors of caregiver burden, namely family functioning, weekly caregiving hours, number of caregivers per family, attitude towards epilepsy, family support, caregivers' gender, personal income and as well as care-recipients' age of onset, seizure frequency and ADL dependency (F(10, 85) = 11.37, p