Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research Centers

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People with epilepsy (PWE) face many problems including complicated medication regimens, lifestyle adjustments, management of symptoms, stigma, emotional difficulties, co-morbid depression, cognitive struggles, disability, under- or unemployment, and limited access to transportation. Epilepsy self-management can improve treatment outcomes and overall quality of life for PWE. Project UPLIFT (Using Practice and Learning to Increase Favorable Thoughts), a Managing Epilepsy Well (MEW) Network self-management program is theory-based, can be distance-delivered, and has been shown to be effective in reducing symptoms of co-morbid depression among PWE. However, adoption of such a program in communities that experience the greatest negative effects of health disparities has been slow. Black or African Americans, who constitute about a third of the population of Georgia, carry a heavier burden with regard to epilepsy compared to their White counterparts, and the efficacy of Project UPLIFT among Black adults is only now being investigated. The current proposed project will replicate and evaluate the efficacy of Project UPLIFT with a sample of Black adults with epilepsy and identify key facilitators and barriers to adoption among this population. Additionally, as part of our dissemination plan and contributory role in the MEW Network, we propose to support the continuation of the MEW Network integrated database (MEW DB) initiative that uses archival data to conduct relevant secondary analyses to inform best practice in epilepsy self-management. Using a community-engaged approach, our proposed activities are consistent with the SIP RFA's stated project objectives to: (1) utilize findings from the literature and formative research to incorporate recommended strategies for enhancing participant recruitment and retention throughout the study; (2) explore and evaluate associations of patient-related factors (e.g., health literacy) to inform best practices for the epilepsy field; (3) conduct a replication study of an existing evidenced-based MEW Network self-management program, Project UPLIFT, in Blacks with epilepsy across Georgia; and (4) identify enabling factors and barriers to program adoption, engagement and retention in evidence-based epilepsy self-management programs. The proposed study will be conducted in three phases: (1) a formative phase, during which we will utilize focus groups and in-depth interviews to identify strategies to improve recruitment and retention as well as understand health literacy and epilepsy health knowledge for African Americans with epilepsy; (2) an implementation phase, during which we propose to replicate and evaluate the efficacy of Project UPLIFT for reducing symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression, seizure frequency and quality of life among African Americans; and (3) a dissemination phase, during which we will share our findings with community stakeholders and scientific outlets, and we will share our data with the MEW Network database.