title: Seizures as a Struggle between Life and Death: An Existential Approach to the Psychosocial Impact of Seizures in Candidates for Epilepsy Surgery
creator: Bauer, Prisca R.
creator: Bronnec, Marie L. A.
creator: Schulze-Bonhage, Andreas
creator: Altenmüller, Dirk-Matthias
creator: Fuchs, Thomas
subject: ddc-150
subject: 150 Psychology
subject: ddc-610
subject: 610 Medical sciences Medicine
description: Introduction: Mental health comorbidities such as depression and anxiety are common in epilepsy, especially among people with pharmacoresistant epilepsy who are candidates for epilepsy surgery. The Psychology Task Force of the International League Against Epilepsy advised that psychological interventions should be integrated into comprehensive epilepsy care. Methods: To better understand the psychological impact of epilepsy and epileptic seizures in epilepsy surgery candidates, we analysed interviews with this subgroup of patients using Karl Jaspers’ concept of limit situations, which are characterised by a confrontation with the limits and challenges of life. These are especially chance, randomness, and unpredictability, death and finitude of life, struggle and self-assertion, guilt, failure, and falling short of one’s aspirations. Results: In 43 interviews conducted with 15 people with drug-resistant epilepsy who were candidates for epilepsy surgery, we found that these themes are recurrent and have a large psychosocial impact, which can result in depression and anxiety. For some people, epileptic seizures appear to meet the criteria for traumatic events. Conclusion: Understanding epilepsy and seizures as existential challenges complements the neurobiological explanations for psychological comorbidities and can help tailor psychological interventions to the specific needs of people with epilepsy, especially those who are candidates for surgical treatment.
publisher: Karger
date: 2023
type: Article
type: info:eu-repo/semantics/article
type: NonPeerReviewed
format: application/pdf
identifier: https://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/volltextserver/36327/1/PSP528924.pdf
identifier: DOI:10.11588/heidok.00036327
identifier: https://doi.org/10.1159/000528924
identifier: urn:nbn:de:bsz:16-heidok-363278
identifier:   Bauer, Prisca R. ; Bronnec, Marie L. A. ; Schulze-Bonhage, Andreas ; Altenmüller, Dirk-Matthias ; Fuchs, Thomas  (2023) Seizures as a Struggle between Life and Death: An Existential Approach to the Psychosocial Impact of Seizures in Candidates for Epilepsy Surgery.  Psychopathology, 56 (6).  pp. 417-429.  ISSN 0254-4962 (Druck-Ausg.);1423-033X (Online-Aisg.)     
relation: https://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/volltextserver/36327/
rights: info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights: http://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/volltextserver/help/license_urhg.html
language: eng