GÜLDEN ATAN
Archives of Epilepsy - 2025;31(2):53-59
OBJECTIVE Patients with epilepsy (PWE) may experience emotional difficulties and distress if they cannot cope consistently with the emotional and physical challenges of having a seizure. This study was conducted to examine the relationship between alexithymia and life satisfaction in PWE. METHODS This study was conducted with 207 PWE in a hospital in eastern Türkiye. Data were collected using the Individual information forms, Toronto Alexithymia Scale, and Satisfaction with Life Scale. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, correlation, and regression analyses, and post-hoc LSD analyses were employed for data evaluation. RESULTS In the present study, the alexithymia total mean score of the PWE was 58.01±9.07, the total mean score of difficulty identifying feelings was 19.84±5.82, the total mean score of difficulty describing feelings was 14.42±3.30, and the total mean score of externally oriented thinking was 23.75±2.88. The total mean satisfaction with life score was 13.82±4.23. A significant negative correlation was found between total alexithymia and life satisfaction scores of PWE, who participated in the study (F=11.87; p<0.05). CONCLUSION It was found that PWE had high alexithymia levels and lower life satisfaction levels. As the total alexithymia score increased, the total life satisfaction score decreased.
