Identifying risk factors for maternal depression in families of adolescents with epilepsy.

Issues And Purpose: To investigate factors associated with depressive symptoms in mothers of children with chronic seizure disorders.

Design And Methods: A cross-sectional correlational design was used with a sample of 115 mother-child dyads in families where the child had chronic epilepsy.

Results: A three-factor model consisting of family income, satisfaction with family relationships, and presence of child behavior problems explained 32% of the variance in maternal depressive symptoms.

Practice Implications: Childhood epilepsy has a negative effect on the mother's mood in many families. Child behavior problems were found to be the strongest predictor of maternal depressive symptoms. Assessing for behavior problems and maternal depression should become a routine part of the family nursing assessment.