Emotional Distress In Family Caregivers Of Patients With Epilepsy And Its Negative Impact On Patients’ Quality Of Life

Background: The emotional distress that caregivers experience is not only detrimental to their own mental health but can also have far-reaching consequences on the patient’s well-being and quality of life Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess the anxiety and depression of caregivers of patients with epilepsy (PWE) and evaluate its effect on patient quality of life (QOL) Method: One hundred and fourteen pairs of patients with epilepsy (PWE) and their caregivers were enrolled in our study through consecutive sampling at neurology clinic in a Tertiary health institution in Jos Nigeria. Quality of life in PWE was evaluated with the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) scale. Symptoms of anxiety and depression in caregivers were assessed with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Frequency and chi square statistics were used as statistical analysis. Results: Of the caregivers, 54 (47.4%) had anxiety symptoms (HADS scores > 7) and 45 (39.5%) had depression symptoms (HADS scores >7). Mean WHOQOL-BREF Transformed scores (0-100) for each domain were 55.54 ± 12.59 in physical, 55.73 ±17.44 in psychological, 51.20 ± 27.34 in social, and 59.79 ± 21.74 in environmental domain. Mean score for overall quality of life (QOL) was 55.56 ± 15.49. Caregiver anxiety was significantly associated (p=0.000) with poorer PWE QOL in 43 (82.7%) of care givers. Caregiver depression was significantly associated (p=0.000) with poorer PWE QOL in 35 (67.3%) of care givers. Conclusion: caregivers of PWE are at high risk of experiencing anxiety and depression. Caregiver psychological status, especially anxiety was an independent predictor of poorer QOL for PWE. Therefore healthcare providers should take a holistic approach to managing epilepsy, considering not only the patient’s health, but also the well-being of caregivers. This could include counseling, respite care, and other services to ease the emotional burden on caregivers. Keywords : caregivers, anxiety, depresion, epilepsy, Quality of Life.