Behaviour problems in children and adolescents with seizure disorder: associations and risk factors.
OBJECTIVE
Fifty million people worldwide have epilepsy of whom 33 million are children. Children and adolescents with epilepsy are known to have high rates of behaviour problems and psychiatric co-morbidity. No studies on this topic have been conducted in developing countries, although 90% of such children live in the developing world.


METHODS
The current study, set in Vellore in India, assessed the prevalence of psychopathology and its associations in children and adolescents with seizure disorder. One hundred and thirty two children were rated for psychopathology on the Child Behaviours Check List, and those who qualified as psychiatric cases were compared with those who did not.


RESULTS
Seizure disorder was associated with significant psychopathology in 53.8% children. Belonging to a higher income group and living in an urban area (OR: 7.61, 95% CI: 2.78-20.8, p=0.0001), having longer than 3 years of illness (OR: 2.39, 95% CI: 2.18-5.67, p=0.03) and being treated by more than one anti-epileptic drug (OR: 3.08, 95% CI: 1.09-8.72, p=0.03) independently predicted psychopathology.


CONCLUSIONS
Psychopathology reflected a complex interaction of seizures, socio-demographic factors and treatment related variables, in accord with studies in industrialised countries. Clinicians should be sensitive to identifying psychopathology since this may lead to effective interventions for this group of children.
Datta
Soumitra Shankar
SS
Department of Psychiatry, Christian Medical College, Vellore 632002, India. sdatta@nhs.net
Premkumar
Titus Samson
TS
Chandy
Sujith
S
Kumar
Sudhir
S
Kirubakaran
Chellum
C
Gnanamuthu
Chandran
C
Cherian
Alice
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003710:Demography; D003906:Developing Countries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007360:Intelligence / Q000502:physiology; D007361:Intelligence Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D015995:Prevalence; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011599:Psychopathology / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors