title: The social context of anxiety and depression: exploring the role of anxiety and depression in the lives of Australian adults with epilepsy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine key determinants of anxiety and depression in a community sample of people with epilepsy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were analyzed from the 2010 Australian Epilepsy Longitudinal Survey, examining living with epilepsy in Australia. The HADS was analyzed, and Pearson correlations and block recursive regression were undertaken to identify key associations between anxiety, depression, and a range of variables and to identify key determinants of anxiety and depression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Key factors to influence anxiety were social aspects of stigma, effectiveness of seizure control, whether in employment, and the number of different epilepsy drugs. Determinants for depression were social aspects of stigma, whether in employment, and the effectiveness of seizure control. Stigma was also found to be an important mediating variable for employment, control, and the number of drugs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Understanding the mechanisms involved in anxiety and depression in a community sample of people with epilepsy requires the inclusion of opportunities for paid employment and the effects of psychosocial factors such as stigma. Without this fuller social context, there are limitations on understanding factors that influence anxiety and depression and how to deal with the outcomes.
authors.affiliation: School of Social Sciences and Communication, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia. Electronic address: c.peterson@latrobe.edu.au.
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.affiliation: Chronic Illness Alliance, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.affiliation: Epilepsy Foundation, Surrey Hills, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Shears
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D004651:Employment; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012931:Social Environment; D057545:Social Stigma; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants
keywords: Anxiety; Control; Depression; Employment; Epilepsy; Stigma