Social support, spirituality, and religiosity in epilepsy among adults

Abstract

There is no consensus on whether religiosity/spirituality (RS) acts as a form of social support in individuals with chronic diseases. Objective: To assess the relationship between the perception of social support and aspects of RS among adult people with epilepsy (PWEs). Methodology: Data from the Social Support Satisfaction Scale (SSSS) and the Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness/Spirituality (BMMRS-P) were correlated with clinical variables and scores on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) in 44 PWEs, using statistical tests with p<0.05. Results: The study included 28F/16M, with a mean age and epilepsy duration of 44.3 and 28.1 years respectively. Lower scores on the SSSS (dimension and total score) were associated with alterations in the neurological examination and anxiety and depression on the HADS. There was a correlation between their perception regarding satisfaction with friends in the SSSS and the dimensions of private religious practices (Pearson correlation; -0.316; p=0.037) and religious support (-0.350; p=0.020) from the BMMRS-P. Clinical aspects were related to the BMMRS-P but not to the SSSS. Conclusion: There was a perception of compromised social support in epilepsy. RS measures are associated with a perception of greater social support, suggesting that RS may positively contribute to coping with psychosocial aspects in epilepsy.