Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures and health-related quality of life: The relationship with psychological distress and other physical symptoms

Abstract This study explores the relationship between the frequency of psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL), as well as the effect of psychological distress and other physical symptoms on this relationship. Data were collected on 96 patients with PNES. Correlations of seizure frequency with HRQoL, psychological distress, and physical symptoms were computed. Partial correlations of seizure frequency with HRQoL while controlling for psychological distress and physical symptoms were also computed. Seizure frequency was found to be significantly related to subjective HRQoL, although the relationship with HRQoL was rendered nonsignificant when the effects of psychological distress and the number of other physical symptoms were taken into account. The results of this study suggest that summary scores of HRQoL are not independently related to frequency of PNES and that there is a close association between PNES frequency, levels of psychological distress, and number of other physical symptoms experienced.