Objective: The goal of the study described here was to obtain psychometric validation of the Spanish version of the 38-item Side Effects and Life Satisfaction (SEALS) Inventory.
Methods: A cross-cultural adaptation of the inventory was performed. A total of 595 patients with epilepsy were included in a multicenter cross-sectional study. The SEALS Inventory was completed, together with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and SF-12 Health Survey.
Results: The mean SEALS score was 60.7. SEALS presented high internal consistency, with a Cronbach alpha coefficient of 0.93, and good test-retest reliability, with an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.92. The pattern of correlations with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and SF-12 Health Survey indicated good convergent and divergent validity. SEALS scores discriminated patients according to epilepsy-related factors, emotional disturbances, and the generic quality of life.
Conclusion: The Spanish version of the SEALS Inventory is a valid psychometric instrument. It may be used in routine clinical practice and in clinical trials in patients with epilepsy to capture the cognitive and behavioral aspects of quality of life.