Anxiety, depression and perceived health status in patients with epilepsy

Introduction Epilepsy is a chronic disease often disabling, source of stigma and poor quality of life. Objectives Determine the prevalence of anxiety and depression in patients with epilepsy and the associated factors. Methods We conducted a prospective, descriptive and analytical study among 20 patients followed for epilepsy in our department of neurology. The study was conducted from February to April 2015. We used a preestablished form to collect the socio-demographic and clinic profile of the patients. The assessment of anxiety and depression was made via the HADS “Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale” and the perceived health status via GHQ scale “General Health Questionnaire”. Results The average age of our patients was 35.9 years. The average GHQ score was 27.7. It was higher in women without a statistically significant difference. It was positively correlated with the number of attacks during the last 12 months ( P  = 0.042), poor treatment adherence ( P  = 0.007), the feeling of disability ( P  = 0.021) and the feeling of stigma ( P  = 0.008). Anxiety was estimated in 35% of cases and 45% were depressed. Depression was significantly associated to the celibacy ( P  = 0.012), the feeling of stigma ( P  = 0.038) and the GHQ score ( P  = 0.016). Anxiety was correlated with the absence of hobbies ( P  = 0.02) and the GHQ score ( P  = 0.008). Conclusion It is important to detect these psychiatric disorders and to manage generators factors to ensure a better quality of life and social integration for these patients with epilepsy.