Validated Scales for Identifying Psychiatric Disorders in Persons with Epilepsy
Abstract number :
2.209
Submission category :
6. Cormorbidity (Somatic and Psychiatric)
Year :
2022
Submission ID :
2204182
Source :
www.aesnet.org
Presentation date :
12/4/2022 12:00:00 PM
Published date :
Nov 22, 2022, 05:23 AM
Authors :
Hira Pervez, MD – University of Toledo COM; Anum Riaz, MD - University of Toledo; Fahham Asghar, MD – Research Assistant, Neurology, University of Toledo COM LS; Mary Haines, PhD – Assistant Professor, Neurology, University of Toledo COM LS; Bashar Saour, MD – Assistant Professor, Neurology, University of Toledo COM LS; Sidra Saleem, MD – PGY-3 Resident, Neurology, University of Toledo COM LS; Nicholas Delcimmuto, Medical Student – Neurology – University of Toledo College of Medicine; Ajaz Sheikh, MD – Associate Professor, Neurology, University of Toledo COM LS; Imran Ali, MD – Professor, Neurology, University of Toledo COM LS
Rationale: The prevalence of mental health associated illnesses in PWE is higher than the general population. However, these disorders are often under-diagnosed and under-treated. Our objective was to estimate the prevalence and severity of comorbid psychiatric symptoms in PWE and to identify significant differences based on gender, type of epilepsy, and antiseizure therapy.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional study from a single site with 79 randomly selected PWE. Demographics, type of epilepsy, and number of antiseizure medications (ASMs) were analyzed. To assess the presence of psychiatric symptoms, the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale 21 item (DASS-21) was used. The DASS-21 is a 21-item self-report questionnaire screening measure with subscales for symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. The individual’s responses yield scores that are characterized as normal, mild, moderate, severe, or extremely severe for each of the three subscales. For example, the following scores for each subscale are considered normal: depression scale ≤9, anxiety scale ≤7, and stress scale ≤14.
Results: Study participants were 34% men and 66% women: mean age 45.5±15.4 years. 62% of participants endorsed psychiatric symptoms (depression, anxiety, or stress). Mean±SD scores for each subscale were as follows: depression 8.6±8.3, anxiety 9.4±7.4, and stress 11.9±8.1. Anxiety was reported in 55.7%, depression in 36.7%, and stress in 32.9%. More than a quarter (25.3%) endorsed symptoms from all three categories (Table 1). No significant score differences were found based on gender, type of epilepsy (focal vs. generalized), or monotherapy vs. polytherapy. Stratifying for each subscale: Depression: approximately 8.9% endorsed mild symptoms, 19% moderate, 6.3% severe, and 2.5% extremely severe symptoms; Anxiety: 10.1% endorsed mild symptoms, 20.3% moderate, 15.2% severe, and 10.1% extremely severe symptoms. Stress scale: 17.7% endorsed mild symptoms, 8.9% moderate, 5.1% severe, and 1.2% extremely severe symptoms of stress.
Conclusions: The results indicate that PWE in our study had a very incidence of underlying psychiatric comorbidities, anxiety is the most common symptom noted. More than half the participants endorsed significant symptoms on at least one scale utilized for screening for depression, anxiety and stress, and more than a quarter endorsed significant symptoms on all three scales. _x000D_
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We suggest PWE be routinely screened for mental health conditions using similar validated instruments. Once diagnosis is established, specific interventions should be undertaken and reassessed at regular intervals to determine treatment response with the specific goal of improving quality of life.
Funding: None
Cormorbidity (Somatic and Psychiatric)