People with epilepsy may face a number of complex and interacting problems and barriers related to employment. Understanding these barriers is an important step toward implementing effective rehabilitation interventions. This article explores the factors that predicted employment status among a community-based sample of adults with epilepsy. Data for the analysis were collected from 146 adults with epilepsy through Epilepsy Foundation chapters in Wisconsin, Kentucky, and Ohio. Several demographic and epilepsy-related variables were analyzed to explore the determinants of employment status. Results of a binary logistic regression analysis suggest that gender, number of antiepilepsy medications used, seizure frequency, and reported interference in daily functioning created by seizures were the best predictors of employment. Additional analyses suggested that the possession of a driver's license was also associated with employment status. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for rehabilitation-based intervention.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Austin, J.K., & deBoer, H.M. (1997). Disruptions in social functioning and services facilitating adjustment for the child and adult. In J. Engel, Jr., & T. A. Pedley (Eds.), Epilepsy: A comprehensive textbook (pp. 2191—2201). Philadelphia: Lippincott-Raven.
2.
Baker, G.A., Jacoby, A., Buck, D., Stalgis, C., & Monnet, D. (1997). Quality of life of people with epilepsy: A European study. Epilepsia, 38, 353—362.
3.
Bishop, M. (2002). Barriers to employment among people with epilepsy: Report of a focus group. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation , 17, 281—286
4.
Bishop, M., & Allen, C. (2001). Employment concerns of people with epilepsy and the question of disclosure: Report of a survey of the Epilepsy Foundation . Epilepsy and Behavior, 2, 490—495.
5.
Brodie, M.J., & Kwan, P. (2002). Staged approach to epilepsy management. Neurology, 58(8, Suppl. 5), S2—S8.
6.
Chaplin, J.E., Wester, A., & Tomson, T. (1998). Factors associated with the employment problems of people with established epilepsy. Seizure, 7, 299—303.
7.
Chaplin, J.E., Yepez Lasso, R., Shorvon, S.D., & Floyd, M. (1992). National General Practice study of epilepsy: The social and psychological effects of a recent diagnosis of epilepsy. British Medical Journal, 304, 1416—1418.
8.
Cooper, M. (1995). Epilepsy and employment: Employers' attitudes . Seizure, 4, 193—199.
9.
deBoer, H.M. (1991). Counselling women towards independence. In M. R. Trimble (Ed.), Women and epilepsy (pp. 19—31). New York: Wiley .
10.
Devinsky, O. (1994). A guide to understanding and living with epilepsy . Philadelphia: F. A. Davis.
11.
Epilepsy Foundation. (1991). The workbook: A self-study guide for job seekers. Landover, MD: Author.
12.
Fisher, R.S. (2000). Epilepsy from the patient's perspective: Review of results of a community-based survey. Epilepsy and Behavior , 1(Suppl. 1), S9—S14.
13.
Fisher, R.S., Vickrey, B.G., Gibson, P., Hermann, B., Penovich, P., Scherer, A., & Walker, S. (2000). The impact of epilepsy from the patient's perspective: I. Descriptions and subjective perceptions. Epilepsy Research , 41, 39—51.
14.
Fraser, R.T., & Clemmons, D. (1983). Epilepsy rehabilitation: Assessment and counseling concerns. Journal of Applied Rehabilitation Counseling, 14(3), 26—31.
15.
Hauser, W.A., & Hesdorffer, D.C. (1990). Epilepsy: Frequency, causes, and consequences. Landover, MD: Epilepsy Foundation of America.
16.
Jacoby, A. (1992). Epilepsy and the quality of everyday life: Findings from a study of people with well-controlled epilepsy. Social Science and Medicine, 34, 657—666.
17.
Jacoby, A. (1994). Felt versus enacted stigma: A concept revisited— evidence from a study of people with epilepsy in remission. Social Science and Medicine, 38, 269—274.
18.
Jacoby A., Baker, G.A., Steen, N., Potts, P., & Chadwick , D.W. (1996). The clinical course of epilepsy and its psychosocial correlates: Findings from a U.K. community study. Epilepsia, 37(2), 148—161.
19.
Kanner, A.M., Pellock, J.M., & Meador, K.J. (2001). Cognitive and behavioral effects of antiepileptic drugs. Epilepsy & Behavior, 2(4,Part2), SS1—SS17.
20.
Martin, J., & White, A. (1988). OPCS surveys of disability in Great Britain: II. The financial circumstances of disabled adults living in private households . London: HMSO.
21.
Norusis, M.J. (1999). SPSS Regression Models 10.0. Chicago: SPSS, Inc.
22.
Ratsepp, M., Oun, A.A., Haldre, S., & Kaasik, A. (2000). Felt stigma and the impact of epilepsy on employment status among Estonian people: Exploratory study. Seizure, 9, 394—401.
23.
Rumrill, P.D. (1996). Job placement and retention interventions. In P. D. Rumrill, Jr. (Ed.), Employment issues and multiple sclerosis (pp. 65—88). New York : Demos Vermande.
24.
Scambler, G., & Hopkins, A. (1980). Being epileptic: Coming to terms with stigma. Sociological Health and Illness, 8, 26—43.
25.
Schachter, S.C., Shafer, P.O., & Murphy, W. (1993). The personal impact of seizures: Correlations with seizure frequency, employment, cost of medical care, and satisfaction with physician care. Journal of Epilepsy, 6(4), 224—227.
26.
Thorbecke, R., & Fraser, R.T. (1997). The range of needs and services in vocational rehabilitation. In J. Engel, Jr., & T. A. Pedley (Eds.), Epilepsy: A comprehensive textbook (pp. 2211—2225). Philadelphia : Lippincott-Raven.
27.
Wright, R.E. (1995). Logistic regression. In L. G. Grimm & P. R. Yarnold (Eds.), Reading and understanding multivariate statistics (pp. 65—97). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association .
28.
Yagi, K. (1989). Factors preventing people with epilepsy from employment . In J. Suzuki, M. Seino, Y. Fukuyama, & S. Komai (Eds.), Art and science of epilepsy (pp. 165—172). Amsterdam: Exerpta Medica.
29.
Yagi, K. (1998). Epilepsy: Comprehensive care, quality of life, and factors preventing people with epilepsy from being employed. Clinical Therapeutics, 20(Suppl. A), A19—A28.
