After the initial data is collected, no interventions other than routine nursing care will be applied to the patients and their caregivers. Not intervening in the control group will be necessary to accurately evaluate whether the research hypothesis is significant. This approach will ensure that only the effects of the intervention are isolated, allowing for a proper analysis of the differences between groups based on the research hypothesis. For this group, the researchers will administer the "Patient Introduction Form," the "Epilepsy Self-Efficacy Scale," and the "Epilepsy Symptom Management Scale" to the patients, and the "Caregiver Introduction Form" and the "Zarit Burden Interview" to the caregivers, as data collection tools, eight weeks after the initial assessment to collect the final test data.

Patients will receive a neck massage based on Watson's Human Caring Model in addition to standard medical care. The massage will be performed three times a week for eight weeks, totaling 24 sessions. Sessions will last 30 minutes and follow evidence-based nursing interventions. Care will be individualized and delivered in a calming environment.

Pre- and post-intervention assessments will include the Epilepsy Self-Efficacy Scale and the Epilepsy Symptom Management Scale for patients, and the Zarit Burden Interview for caregivers. Caregivers will also complete an introductory form. All data will be collected at baseline and after eight weeks. The massage's impact on both patient outcomes and caregiver burden will be evaluated.

Patients will receive a neck massage based on Watson's Human Caring Model in addition to standard medical care. The massage will be performed three times a week for eight weeks, totaling 24 sessions. Sessions will last 30 minutes and follow evidence-based nursing interventions. Care will be individualized and delivered in a calming environment.

Pre- and post-intervention assessments will include the Epilepsy Self-Efficacy Scale and the Epilepsy Symptom Management Scale for patients, and the Zarit Burden Interview for caregivers. Caregivers will also complete an introductory form. All data will be collected at baseline and after eight weeks. The massage's impact on both patient outcomes and caregiver burden will be evaluated.

The Epilepsy Self-Efficacy Scale was originally developed by DiIorio et al. in 1992 as a 25-item tool to assess individuals' belief in their ability to manage their epilepsy. In 2000, 8 additional items were included in the original scale. The Turkish validity and reliability study was conducted in 2019 by Öznur Adadıoğlu. Cronbach's alpha values were reported as 0.88 for the management factor, 0.84 for the general management factor, 0.82 for illness and medication management, 0.55 for seizure management, and 0.91 for the total scale. Based on factor analysis, 2 items were removed, and the final Turkish version included 31 items. Items are scored from "0 - I cannot do at all" to "10 - I am absolutely sure I can do," and total scores range from 0 to 310. When averaged, scores range from 0 to 10. Higher scores indicate greater self-efficacy.

The Zarit Burden Interview was developed in 1980 by Zarit, Reever, and Bach-Peterson to assess the level of stress experienced by caregivers. It consists of 22 items addressing social and emotional aspects of caregiving. Each item is scored on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from "never" to "nearly always." Total scores range from 0 to 88, with higher scores indicating greater caregiver burden. Reliability studies found internal consistency coefficients between 0.87 and 0.94. The Turkish validity and reliability study was conducted by İnci in 2006, with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.95.

This scale was developed by the researchers based on relevant literature (Kurt & Ünsar, 2009; Yeşilbalkan et al., 2008; Yıldırım et al., 2011; Tülek et al., 2016; Mollaoğlu et al., 2015; Önsöz & Usta Yeşilbalkan, 2013; Atay Turan et al., 2007) for use in a doctoral dissertation. Initially, 40 items were drafted. Following expert review, two items were removed, one was split into two, and six were revised, resulting in a final version with 39 items. The scale provides a holistic, user-friendly tool for epilepsy patients to self-assess all symptoms in a single form. Patients indicate whether they experienced symptoms in the past week (Yes/No). If "Yes," they rate the impact on a 5-point Likert scale: 1 = Not at all disturbing to 5 = Extremely disturbing. Total scores range from 0 to 195, with higher scores indicating greater symptom burden. To assess content validity, 10 experts evaluated each item using Davis' method, which involves rating items as: 1 = Not appropriate, 2 = Needs major