Family Management Style as a Mediator between Parenting Stress and Quality of Life of Children with Epilepsy

Purpose: To examine the possible relationship between parenting stress and quality of life of children with epilepsy together with the mediating effects of family management styles on this relationship. Design and methods: We conducted a descriptive and exploratory study using data of participants were 93 parents with an epileptic child. Instruments were self-reported questionnaires including the Korean version of the Quality of Life (QOL) in Childhood Epilepsy Questionnaire (K-QOLCE), the Korean version of the Parenting Stress Index (PSI), and the Korean version of the Family Management Measure (FaMM). Six domains of FaMM were clustered into two domains: easy or difficult family management styles. Descriptive and Pearson correlation path analyses were used to analyze the data. Results: The direct effects of PSI on QOL were not significant (b = −0.21, t = −0.94, p =.349). Indirect effects of PSI through easy family management styles on QOL were significant (b = −0.33, 95% CI = [−0.77, −0.05]). Additionally, two other effects (i.e., indirect effects through difficult family management styles and direct effects) were non-significant. All effects of PSI on QOL were fully mediated through easy family management styles. Conclusion: Easy family management styles are the most important factor in predicting QOL in childhood epilepsy patients. Practice implications: Comprehensive intervention programs are recommended for parents and families of epileptic children to promote positive perceptions of the child's life and to increase parental management ability of the child's condition and parental mutuality.