Effects of a nurse-led cognitive behavioral intervention for parents of children with epilepsy

Background and Objectives This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a nurse-led cognitive behavioral intervention for parents of children with epilepsy (CWE). Methods The study recruited 238 CWE from the neurology ward of Xiangya Hospital from March 2019 to August 2022. According to the interventions after discharge, the children and their parents were randomly divided into 117 parent-child dyads in the intervention group (with parents receiving nurse-led cognitive behavioral intervention) and 121 parent-child dyads in the control group (with parents receiving routine nursing care). The seizure severity and treatment compliance in CWE as well as the parents’ psychological states (symptoms of anxiety, depression, sleep quality, and attitudes toward epilepsy) and satisfaction with the care provided by nurses were compared before and after intervention. Results The follow-up six months after discharge showed that the seizure frequency among CWE in the intervention group was significantly less than the controls (p = 0.048). Compared with the controls, the intervention group also reported fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression, better sleep quality, and more positive attitudes toward epilepsy, as well as higher nursing satisfaction (p < 0.001). The correlation analysis indicated the correlation of CWE’s seizure severity was correlated with the compliance, parents’ psychological states, and parents’ satisfaction with the care provided by nurses. Discussion The adoption of the nurse-led cognitive behavioral intervention on parents of CWE can improve the parents’ mental health status and their satisfaction with the nurses, which can have a positive association with the seizure severity of CWE. In light of this information, this nursing intervention may be a new method for the long-term disease management of CWE.