Prevalence and predictors of psychiatric comorbidities in epilepsy: A cross-sectional study

Background: Anxiety and depression are common psychiatric comorbidities with epilepsy. We aim to evaluate the prevalence and possible risk factors for these comorbidities in people with epilepsy. A sample of 106 epileptic patients attending neuropsychiatry out-patients clinic from August 2022 to June 2023. Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy (NDDI-E, cut-off ≥ 15) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-Item scale (GAD-7, cut-off > 9) were used to assess depression and anxiety in epileptic patients. Psychiatric history, socio-demographics, and epilepsy data were obtained by a semi-structured interview. Patients with and without anxiety and depressive symptoms were compared.ResultThe prevalence of depression and anxiety among patients with epilepsy (PWE) is 31.1%, and 30.2% respectively, whereas generalized anxiety disorder was the most common subtype of anxiety disorders (20.8%). The tonic-clonic, symptomatic, and focal seizures were the most frequent semiology associated with depression and anxiety. Older age, and female patients were statistically related to depression. However, no risk factors were statistically associated with anxiety.ConclusionThe extent of depression and anxiety disorders comorbidities is reasonably high among PWE. Early identification and management might affect the magnitude of the problem.