to study coping strategies in epileptic patients and to analyze the relationships between these strategies and the different characteristics of epilepsy as well as their impact on patients' resilience and quality of life (QOL).

This is a descriptive cross-sectional study concerning patients treated for epilepsy at the Neurology Department of the Tunis Military Training Hospital. We assessed coping strategies using the Brief Cope. We studied correlations between stress adjustment strategies  and clinical characteristics of epilepsy, as well as resilience. (using the Brief Resilience Scale), the prevalence of depression (using the Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy) and the QOL (using the SF-36).

Eighty five cases were included. Patients relied more on strategies based on positive reframing, especially acceptance and support strategies, especially instrumental or emotional support. Coping strategies were correlated mainly with age, psychiatric co-morbidities, seizure frequency and stability of the epilepsy. There was a statistically significant correlation between average score of strategies based on positive reframing and social well-being ((r=0,30 ; p=0,004)). Better QOL in its general health component was associated with support-based strategies (r=0,37 ; p=0,01). Improved resilience was associated with better physical and mental QOL, and the use of avoidance-based coping strategies was linked to low resilience. Nearly half of the patients (43.5%) were screened positive for depression at the time of the study.

Analysis of the relationships between coping strategies and QOL in epileptic patients concluded that problem-focused coping strategies and strategies based on mental reframing were associated with a better QOL in its mental component, while avoidance based strategies were associated with impaired QOL