Spirituality/religiosity in a group of people with epilepsy

Introduction:
Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological diseases. This prompts us to consider the factors that have a significant impact on the course of the disease and functioning of people with epilepsy. Spirituality/religiosity is an important element of almost every person’s life, determining their attitude towards illness and disability, as well as maintaining health well-being. The aim of the study was to determine the relationship between the level of spirituality/religiosity and age, the number and quality of seizures, and the treatment used in a group of patients with epilepsy.

Material and methods:
A standardised research tool was used: the Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale (DSES), and an original survey questionnaire. The study was conducted online and involved 103 patients diagnosed with epilepsy according to the criteria of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE). The following statistical tests were used to analyse the results: Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient and the Mann-Whitney U test. The significance level was α = 0.05.

Results:
The study group included many people with low and high levels of spirituality and relatively few people with an average level of spirituality. In people who were older (rho = 0.34, p < 0.001), did not take antiepileptic drugs (Z = –2.23, p < 0.05), and underwent surgical treatment (Z = –2.23, p < 0.05) or the ketogenic diet (Z = 1.95, p = 0.051), a higher level of spirituality was recorded. Greater frequency (rho = –0.24, p < 0.05) and number of symptoms (rho = –0.24, p < 0.05) during epileptic seizures and experiencing symptoms such as the feeling of being outside one’s own body (Z = –2.92, p < 0.01) correlated significantly with a lower level of spirituality/religiosity.

Conclusions:
The level of spirituality/religiosity of the examined people with epilepsy varied. The research results confirmed the relationship between spirituality/religiosity and selected aspects of the functioning of people with epilepsy, such as age, frequency of seizures, the type of symptoms experienced, or the treatment used.