Abstract
Background: Epilepsy is a worldwide common neurological disorder characterized by an enduring predisposition to epileptic seizures. Protective elements are circumstances that help an individual cope with stressful events more effectively. Resilience may act as a protective factor against the subjective experience of hardship, especially when receiving a probable negative medical diagnosis. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to explore resilience among patients with epilepsy. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was performed in 2021 on 250 patients with epilepsy referred to selected medical centers in Isfahan, who were selected by the simple random sampling method. Data collection tools included a demographic information questionnaire and Connor- Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). Data were analyzed in SPSS software version 26 using descriptive statistics such as the mean and standard deviation for quantitative variables and frequency and percentage for qualitative variables. Stepwise regression tests were used to examine the relationship between independent variables and dependent variables while controlling contextual and confounding variables. Results: In this study, the mean (standard deviation) of the resilience score in epileptic patients was 60.34 ± 19.86. The socioeconomic status and the level of education, but not martial status and gender, were found to correlate significantly with resilience (P = 0.445 and P = 0.396, respectively). Duration of epilepsy, age, and job status inversely correlated with resilience (P = -0.269, P = -0.131, P = -0.155, respectively). Conclusions: According to the results of this study, increasing knowledge and understanding of the relationship between epilepsy and resilience may help obviate this problem in patients with epilepsy.