Abstract

Background and aim: Epilepsy, as a physiological brain disease, causes many problems for the affected child and his or her families, especially their mothers and their main caregivers. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to compare the quality of life (QOL) and mental health of mothers having epileptic child with mothers having normal child. Materials and Method: The present research was carried out using a causal-comparative methodology. All of the mothers having epileptic child with mothers having normal child in Zabol city, a total of 30 subjects were selected using convenience sampling method for each group. Research instruments included the Goldberg's Mental Health Questionnaire and the World Health Organization Quality-of-Life Scale (WHOQOL). In this research, the obtained data were analyzed using MANCOCA in SPSS software. Findings: The results showed that there is a significant difference between mothers having epileptic child and mothers of normal child in terms of the mental health variable as well as components of role limitation due to physical health problem, role limitation due to emotional problem, emotional health, bodily pain, and general health of quality of life. Conclusion: Considering that mothers of children with special needs need to receive counseling and psychotherapy services in order to overcome their problems, it is essential to involve them in educational programs to expand their awareness about coping strategies to deal with the problems of epileptic children.