Incidence of depression in Epilepsy patients

Abstract

Epilepsy and depression are frequent pathologies especially in the developing countries where the level of health facilities and the standards of living are very low. Scholars have stated the relationship between epilepsy and depression but with less precision on symptoms and socio-demographic variables difference. The study assessed the co-morbidity between the two different diagnostic entities, one neurologic (epilepsy) and the other psychiatric (depression). From a purposive sample of 392 people consulting for epilepsy, only 105 patients whose EEG diagnosis was positive were recruited in accordance with the inclusion criteria. Screening for  depression, the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD) was used for the depression prevalence assessment. Results from the study showed that epilepsy patients are likely to present with depression symptoms with significant odds for all symptoms like depressive mood, insomnia, work and activities poor performance, anxiety, and somatic symptoms. Patients with generalized seizure are likely to suffer from severe comorbid  depression as compared to patients with partial seizure. Epilepsy treatment should incorporate depression diagnosis and management to ensure  better management of the epilepsy burden.

Key words: Depression, Epilepsy, morbidity, diagnosis, Rwanda