Self-Efficacy and Social Support as Mediators in the Relation Between Disease Severity and Quality of Life in Patients with Epilepsy

Summary: Purpose: This study examined the influence of two psychosocial variables mediating between disease severity and quality of life (Qol) in epilepsy; social support and mastery (measured by locus of control and self-efficacy). A model placing these two variables as mediators between disease severity and QoL was tested with structural equation modeling. Methods: Eighty-nine patients with epilepsy (58% men, age 36 ± 12 years) were given the following instruments: Liverpool Seizure Severity Scale, Interpersonal Support Evaluation List, Epileptic Self-Efficacy Scale, Locus of Control scale, and the World Health Organization's Quality of Life Questionnaire, the WHOQOL. Results: Structural equation modeling showed good fit between the research model and the data (Bentler-Bonett Normalized Index of fit, 0.96; LISREL GFI, 0.95). Ninety percent of the variance of the WHOQOL was explained by a combination of disease severity, self-efficacy in epilepsy, social support, and locus of control. Mastery was found to mediate the correlation between disease severity and QoL, and social support was found to act as a mediator between disease severity and mastery. Conclusions: The study findings emphasize the possibility of improving QoL among patients with epilepsy by counseling and treatment aimed at reinforcing their self-efficacy and locus of control, as well as by improving their SoS.