Depression in Patients with Epilepsy is Influenced by the Duration of Epilepsy

Depression is the most common psychiatric disease seen in patients with epilepsy, with a higher incidence of suicide, yet the onset of depression in these patients is not known for which this study will aim to evaluate the association between depression and epilepsy duration. In this cross-sectional study, patients seen within five years from the diagnosis of epilepsy were divided into two groups; newly diagnosed patients with epilepsy (diagnosed within one year) and those diagnosed between 1-5 years. Beck Depression Inventory (DB – II) was used to screen and classify the severity of depression. Newly diagnosed patients had a significantly higher DB- II scale compared to those diagnosed between 1 – 5 years (an average of the scale of 19.6 vs. 14.8 respectively, 95% CI; 0.27- 9.2, p value = 0.04). Depression scale was also significantly higher in those lacking family history of epilepsy (FH) (1.1 higher, p=0.01, 95% CI; 0.1,3.6). Newly diagnosed patients with epilepsy were also three times more likely to have depression compared to the other group (the adjusted OR = 3.1, 95% CI; 1.2 – 8.3, p = 0.02). The study findings suggested the need to promptly screen for depression in epileptic patients, particularly at an earlier course of the disease. The significant association between epilepsy duration and depression could be related to the difficult adjustment they experienced following the diagnosis of epilepsy, especially in patients lacking the family history of epilepsy