Help-seeking and treatment preferences for depression in epilepsy (original) (raw)
Related papers
Epilepsy & Behavior, 2011
Depression among people with a diagnosis of epilepsy is under-recognized. General practitioner (GP) screening for depression using a new scale developed specifically for patients with epilepsy, the Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy (NDDI-E), has not before been reported. The aims were to examine the process of GP screening for depression in patients with epilepsy employing the widely used Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) and the NDDI-E; to determine the impact of screening on GPrecognized depression; and to ascertain depression predictors. Patients were screened via their GPs. A subset of participants underwent clinical interview to assess screener accuracy. Use of either instrument almost doubled the proportion of GP-recognized depression. Ninety-four percent of those interviewed found screening acceptable. More recent and frequent seizures predicted screening positive. The results suggest that screening for depression in patients with epilepsy via GPs improves detection of depression and is acceptable to interviewed patients.
Depressive symptoms in patients with epilepsy: Analysis of self-rating and physician′s assessment
Neurology India, 2010
Although depressive symptoms are the most common psychiatric comorbidity in epilepsy, they remain underestimated and untreated in a large proportion of patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate depression severity and related clinical features in people with epilepsy using a well-reliable self-report index of mood, the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). Onehundred seventeen adult patients with epilepsy were recruited from a tertiary epilepsy center and completed the BDI-II. A singleitem analysis of the 21 questions of the BDI-II was computed and differences between women and men in each depressive symptom were evaluated. Correlation and regression analyses were used to identify clinical features associated with the severity of depression. Results showed gender differences in some items, with women reporting overall higher depression severity than men. The most common symptoms regarded domains of sleeping patterns, tiredness, and loss of energy. Regression evidence suggested that being female, having an epilepsy duration < 10 years, as well as being treated with psychotropic drugs and reporting generalized seizure, were associated with higher depression severity. Despite its cross-sectional nature, this study reinforces the importance of investigating and possibly treating depressive symptoms in adult patients with epilepsy, since they negatively impact well-being, daytime activities, and sleep. Further studies identifying pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatments for depression in epilepsy need to be planned.
Epilepsy & Behavior, 2011
Depression among people with a diagnosis of epilepsy is under-recognized. General practitioner (GP) screening for depression using a new scale developed specifically for patients with epilepsy, the Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy (NDDI-E), has not before been reported. The aims were to examine the process of GP screening for depression in patients with epilepsy employing the widely used Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) and the NDDI-E; to determine the impact of screening on GPrecognized depression; and to ascertain depression predictors. Patients were screened via their GPs. A subset of participants underwent clinical interview to assess screener accuracy. Use of either instrument almost doubled the proportion of GP-recognized depression. Ninety-four percent of those interviewed found screening acceptable. More recent and frequent seizures predicted screening positive. The results suggest that screening for depression in patients with epilepsy via GPs improves detection of depression and is acceptable to interviewed patients.
Neurology and Therapy
Introduction: Experts agree that there is a need for protocols to guide health professionals on how to best manage psychiatric comorbidities in patients with epilepsy (PWE). We aimed to develop practical recommendations for key issues in the management of depression in PWE. Methods: This was a qualitative study conducted in four steps: (1) development of a questionnaire on the management of depression in PWE to be answered; (2) literature review and, if evidence from guidelines/consensus or systematic reviews was available, drafting initial recommendations; (3) a nominal group methodology for reviewing initial recommendations and formulating new recommendations
International Journal of Clinical Trials, 2022
Background: Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizures. Depressive disorders are the most common psychiatric co-morbidity in patients with epilepsy. Early detection and treatment improve overall health related quality in these patients.Methods: A prospective cross sectional observational study was conducted across 6 months (December 2018-May 2019) in a tertiary care hospital. The present study included 50 registered patients and various socio-demographic factors like age, sex, marital status, literacy, drug compliance and status of seizure control etc. were evaluated in regards to prevalence and severity of depression.Results: Out of 50 patients, 27 patients (54%) showed signs of depression. Out of which 10 patients (20%) showed signs of mild depression, 6 patients (12%) showed signs of moderate depression, 7 patients (14%) showed signs of moderately severe depression whereas 4 patients (8%) showed signs of severe depression and there ...
Epilepsy & Behavior, 2004
This study assessed the impact of comorbid depression on health care utilization and health care coverage by people with epilepsy in US communities using a postal survey questionnaire. People with untreated depression used significantly more health resources of all types assessed with and without adjustment for seizure type, seizure recency, and days with epilepsy symptoms. The number of visits to medical doctors and psychiatrists differed significantly among people with no (N ¼ 443), mild to moderate (N ¼ 58), and severe (N ¼ 148) symptoms of depression who were not receiving antidepressant treatment (all P < 0:001). People with current symptoms treated with antidepressants had more medical visits than people with no current symptoms (P ¼ 0:016). People with current symptoms but not treated for depression had more medical and psychiatric visits than people with no current symptoms (both P < 0:001). These data highlight the impact of comorbid depression on health care utilization by people with epilepsy.
Managing depressive disorders in patients with epilepsy
Psychiatry (Edgmont (Pa. : Township)), 2007
Patients with epilepsy are more likely to suffer from psychiatric illnesses, and more specifically depressive disorders (9% to 22%), than the general population. Depression in epilepsy is often described by the temporal correlation to a seizure, with interictal depression being the most commonly described. Furthermore, epileptic patients with depression often report a poorer quality of life on global assessments and are at an increased risk of suicide as compared to the general population, 11.5 percent versus 1.2 percent, respectively. Despite the clinical significance of depression, it often goes unrecognized and hence untreated in this population. Recently, more efforts at screening epilepsy patients for coexisting depression have been undertaken, yielding fair results. However, some epilepsy patients express a certain constellation of symptoms, including an explosive or irritable mood, somatic pains, anxiety and fear, and periods of brief euphoria, which are not captured by commo...
Identifying depression in epilepsy in a busy clinical setting is enhanced with systematic screening
Seizure, 2009
Depression is a frequent psychiatric complication encountered by patients with chronic epilepsy, 1-4 with prevalence reported to be more than 30% in community-based epilepsy populations 5 and between 20% and 55% in tertiary epilepsy centers. 6,7 It is a comorbid condition that adversely affects patients' health-related quality of life, independent of seizure frequency. 8-12 Depression not only has a substantial negative effect on subjective health, but also is a potentially life-threatening illness, contributing to the significantly higher rates of suicidal behavior when compared to the general population. 13,14 Unfortunately, detecting depression in epilepsy patients is a difficult undertaking in a busy ambulatory setting. The diagnosis is often missed in both adults 15 and children. 16,17 Approaches to promptly identify clinical depression can help to improve not only the recognition, but also treatment of this comorbid disorder. Using self-administered screening tools can assist in dealing with this problem. The Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy (NDDI-E) is a validated screening tool for depression in patients with epilepsy that consists of a 6item questionnaire (Fig. 1). It can be used to rapidly and reliably detect depression in a busy clinical setting, as well as differentiate symptoms of depression from those of medication toxicity and cognitive effects of epilepsy. 18 The present study aims to determine the effect on recognition of depression by administering the NDDI-E in a busy urban clinic. In addition, we sought to determine the risk factors associated with depression in this patient population.