eprintid: 36327
rev_number: 12
eprint_status: archive
userid: 5878
dir: disk0/00/03/63/27
datestamp: 2025-04-01 09:43:05
lastmod: 2025-04-04 07:46:15
status_changed: 2025-04-01 09:43:05
type: article
metadata_visibility: show
creators_name: Bauer, Prisca R.
creators_name: Bronnec, Marie L. A.
creators_name: Schulze-Bonhage, Andreas
creators_name: Altenmüller, Dirk-Matthias
creators_name: Fuchs, Thomas
title: Seizures as a Struggle between Life and Death: An Existential Approach to the Psychosocial Impact of Seizures in Candidates for Epilepsy Surgery
ispublished: pub
subjects: ddc-150
subjects: ddc-610
divisions: i-910600
keywords: Trauma, Psychotherapy, Depression, Anxiety, Post-traumatic stress disorder, Karl Jaspers, Limit situation, Subjectivity of epilepsy
note: Dieser Beitrag ist aufgrund einer (DFG-geförderten) Allianz bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich. *** This publication is freely accessible due to an Alliance licence and a national licence (funded by the DFG, German Research Foundation) respectively.
abstract: 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.
date: 2023
date_type: published
publisher: Karger
id_scheme: DOI
id_number: 10.11588/heidok.00036327
official_url: https://doi.org/10.1159/000528924
ppn_swb: 1921430575
own_urn: urn:nbn:de:bsz:16-heidok-363278
language: eng
bibsort: BAUERPRISCSEIZURESAS2023
full_text_status: public
publication: Psychopathology
volume: 56
number: 6
place_of_pub: Basel ; Freiburg [u.a.]
pagerange: 417-429
pages: 13
issn: 0254-4962 (Druck-Ausg.);1423-033X (Online-Aisg.)
edition: Zweitveröffentlichung
citation:   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.)     
document_url: https://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/volltextserver/36327/1/PSP528924.pdf