title: Depression screening for patients with epilepsy in a primary care setting using the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 and the Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy.
abstract: 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 GP-recognized 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.
authors: Welsh Centre for Learning Disabilities, Department of Psychological Medicine and Neurology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK. kerrie.margrove@anglia.ac.uk
authors: Kerrie
authors: K
authors: Margrove
authors: Seth
authors: S
authors: Mensah
authors: Ajay
authors: A
authors: Thapar
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Kerr
mesh_terms: D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D059026:Diagnostic Self Evaluation; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires