Pseudoseizures: Any Psychosocial Determinants.

ABSTRACT

A sample of 80 subjects; 15 male and 65 female in age group of 5 to 45 years well educated; were diagnosed for pseudo-seizures in Neurology OPD and were included in the study. Subjects were excluded who were with any psychiatric or major physical illness. The patients, as the diagnosed case of pseudo seizures, were referred for psychosocial evaluation and were included in the study. Several sessions were held with such patients, their family members and friends to explore the psychosocial stressors as well as secondary gain if any. We observed no significant difference in relation to marital, socioeconomic and educational status among the males and females. But there were significant differences in the findings of the study in relation to the sociodemographic profile of the patients in relation to age, marital status, education and occupation of the patients. Other variables like gender, socio economic status, habitat, religion and family did not reveal any significant difference. These results are in conformity to other reported studies on patients with pseudoseizures, who have a number of stressors i.e. financial burden, family conflicts, marital disharmony, love affairs, disruption in career related issues and academic failure etc.