Researchers from the Pediatric Health Information System hospital network analyzed a large multicenter retrospective cohort to determine differences in demographics, clinical characteristics, testing, treatment and healthcare use between children ages 8-20 with epilepsy (n=13,241) and children with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) secondary to conversion disorder (n=399).
Based on the findings, this study recommends implementing longitudinal mental healthcare with a diagnosis of PNES. Furthermore, the findings highlight the importance of conducting further research on school-based stress reduction for children in whom school attendance is a PNES trigger. The study also recommends that hospitals should benefit from adjusting mental health provider staffing to account for seasonal variations.