Overprotection and the Associated Factors Among People with Epilepsy: A Cross-sectional Study

Research on overprotection has primarily focused on children and adolescents with epilepsy.7,8 According to Thomasgard and Metz, 9 overprotective parenting is characterized by excessive control and caution, difficulty with separation, and the inhibition of a child's independent behaviors.Overprotection is associated with controlling behaviors, such as excessive physical or social contact, infantilization, parental overcontrol, intrusiveness, and anxious parenting.8 Overprotected children with epilepsy may face risks, including excessive dependence, heightened emotionality, delayed maturity relative to peers, and failure to acquire essential social skills.10 Consequently, this pattern may lead to significant psychological problems such as reliance on others and low self-esteem.6,11 Across studies conducted in different countries, findings indicate that autonomy, epilepsy type, educational level, and familial overprotection affect employability.Many restrictions appear to stem not from objectively increased seizure-related risks but from excessively protective caregiving behaviors; caregivers are frequently reported as overprotective, a pattern associated with feelings of shame, reduced social participation, and social isolation.Conversely, some individuals-particularly those following surgery or awaiting surgical treatmentreport increased independence and greater engagement in social activities.1,3,[12][13][14][15][16][17] In light of Kleinman et al.'s 18 emphasis on the cultural shaping of illness perceptions, these results suggest that perceived restrictions influence notions of dignity, vulnerability, and independence