title: Quality of life of patients with epilepsy in Malaysia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To determine the quality of life of patients with epilepsy and its relationship with depression, and the clinical and sociodemographic variables.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a cross-sectional study in which a total of 120 epilepsy patients were recruited from a neurology outpatient clinic. Sociodemographic and clinical variables were recorded. Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.) were used to screen and diagnose for depression, respectively. Quality of Life Inventory of Epilepsy (QOLIE-31) was used to assess quality of life.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with epilepsy with major depression had poorer quality life (36.4 ± 1.8) compared to those without depression (41.7 ± 3.8, P < 0.001). Depression, having one seizure or more per month and having seizures within one month of interview were correlated with poorer quality of life, P < 0.001. Multivariate linear regression analyses showed that depression and recent seizures predicted having poorer quality of life in patients with epilepsy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Depression and poor seizure control were predictors for poor quality of life in patients with epilepsy. Therefore, epilepsy patients should be regularly screened for depression and treatment for epilepsy must be optimized to minimize the negative impact of having epilepsy for these patients.
authors.affiliation: University of Technology MARA, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Salina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mohamed
authors.forename: Jesjeet Singh
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Gill
authors.forename: Chong Tin
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Tan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008296:Malaysia; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: depression; epilepsy; quality of life