Family Resilience in Primary Caregivers of Children Living With Epilepsy: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Status and Associated Factors.

Abstract

Primary caregivers for children living with epilepsy commonly endure severe psychological and social burdens. Nevertheless, family resilience, defined as the ability to adjust and function well when facing hardships, has not been sufficiently explored in this caregiver group. This research intended to assess the overall status of family resilience among primary caregivers of children with epilepsy and explore its major influencing factors. A cross-sectional study was carried out. Participants were 328 primary caregivers recruited from a tertiary hospital in Jiangsu, China, with the survey period spanning from February 2025 to May 2026. The overall mean score of family resilience was 60.25 (SD = 9.18), suggesting a moderate resilience level across participants. Of the five dimensions measured, positive beliefs and adversity reconstruction obtained the highest scores, while family organizational flexibility and family connectedness had the lowest values. Multiple linear regression analysis demonstrated that social support utilization (β = 0.321), persistent psychological distress (β = -0.282), seizure frequency, educational attainment, comorbid conditions and self-perceived health status were independent predictive factors. These variables together accounted for 46.5% of the total variance. These findings suggest that clinical support strategies should prioritize strengthening social support systems, alleviating psychological distress, and enhancing family organizational capabilities.