Author Type

Graduate Student

Date of Award

Spring 4-6-2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Publication Status

Version of Record

Submission Date

April 2026

Department

Counselor Education

College Granting Degree

College of Education

Department Granting Degree

Counselor Education

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]

Ayse Torres

Abstract

Epilepsy, a neurological disorder characterized by recurrent seizures, can impede many aspects of daily life for individuals diagnosed with it (Beghi, 2020; Kanner & Bicchi, 2022). The problem is that women with epilepsy may struggle with family relationships and epilepsy self-management, and it is not known to what extent family support and epilepsy counseling ameliorate this detriment. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the extent to which family support and epilepsy counseling predict family relationship quality and epilepsy self-management among women who suffer from the condition. Surveys measuring the variables family support, epilepsy counseling experience, family relationship quality, and epilepsy self-management were administered to 351 female participants with an official diagnosis of epilepsy; data were analyzed using independent samples t-tests and moderation analyses, yielding several significant findings. There was a significant difference in the family relationships of participants who have counseling history and those who do not have counseling history (t(333) = -3.097, p = .002). There was also a significant difference in the epilepsy self-management of participants who have counseling history and those who do not have counseling history (t(333) = -2.220, p = .027). Next, the family relationships of participants who have low and high family support were significantly different (t(349) = -6.969, p < .001), as was epilepsy self-management (t(349) = -3.541, p < .001). The moderation analysis revealed that the impact of family support on epilepsy self-management varies depending on stress levels. The implications of these findings, as well as study limitations and recommendations for further study, are discussed.

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