title: Psychiatric comorbidities among patients with epilepsy in Montenegro.
abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of psychiatric comorbidities, depression and anxiety, among patients with epilepsy in the outpatient Clinic for Epilepsy, Clinical Centre of Montenegro. Patients aged 18 and above with a diagnosis of epilepsy for at least one year were consecutively enrolled during a six-month period. Patients anonymously filled out a questionnaire which included data on the gender, age, education, marital status and degree of seizure control. The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) were used to evaluate the presence or absence of anxiety and depression. Total number of study patients was 70, including 52 patients with partial seizures and 18 patients with generalized tonic-clonic seizures. The mean patient age was 37 ± 7.92 years. The prevalence of depression in our sample was 32.8%, whereas the prevalence of anxiety was 21.4%. Patients with partial seizures were more depressed, while those with idiopathic generalized seizures were more anxious (p < 0.01). Depression was associated with a lower educational level, unemployment and poor seizure control (p < 0.05). The number of antiepileptic drugs showed a trend towards negative association with depression (p = 0.005). Anxiety was associated with the level of education and uncontrolled seizures (p < 0.01). Neither depression nor anxiety was associated with age, gender, marital status, age at onset and duration of epilepsy. Psychiatric disorders among patients with epilepsy are quite common but yet under-recognized. Therefore, appropriate recognition and efficient treatment of these disorders in patients with epilepsy might improve their quality of life and could consequently lead to better treatment success.
authors: Slavica
authors: S
authors: Vujisić
authors: Sanja
authors: S
authors: Vodopić
authors: Ljiljana
authors: L
authors: Radulović
authors: Lidija
authors: L
authors: Injac-Stevović
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D015897:Comorbidity; D017523:Croatia / Q000453:epidemiology; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008603:Mental Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011788:Quality of Life; D012649:Self Concept; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires