Original Research Article
Year: 2017 | Month: February | Volume: 7 | Issue: 2 | Pages: 82-87
Interictal Psychiatric Comorbidity in Patients with Epilepsy
Dr. Preethi Rebello1, Dr. Pavithra P Rao2, Dr. P. John Mathai3
1Postgraduate Senior Resident, 2Senior Resident, 3Professor and Unit Head,
Department of Psychiatry, Father Muller Medical College, Kankanady, Mangalore - 575002.
Corresponding Author: P. John Mathai
ABSTRACT
Epilepsy is a neurological disorder with a life time prevalence of one percent. Psychiatric comorbidities are relatively frequent in people with epilepsy. Population-based studies have identified a lifetime prevalence of about 30 to 35 percent of comorbid psychiatric disorders. Depressive and anxiety disorders account for majority of psychiatric comorbidity.
Aim: To evaluate the frequency and categories of interictal psychiatric comorbidity in patients with epilepsy and the relationship between the sociodemographic and clinical variables and interictal psychiatric comorbidity of patients with epilepsy.
Method: 30 consecutive patients with epilepsy and 30 controls meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria were evaluated for interictal psychiatric comorbidity using MINI Plus. Standardised MMSE was used to evaluate cognitive impairment. Sociodemographic variables were recorded using Modified Kuppuswamy Socio-Economic Status Scale. Statistical analysis was done using chi- square test.
Results: 26.7% patients with epilepsy are found to have psychiatric comorbidity and 16.7 % of the control has psychiatric disorders. The difference in frequency does not have statistical significance. The present study finds that among the various clinical variables of epilepsy, only frequent seizures have statistically significant relation to the presence a psychiatric disorder.
Conclusion: Comorbid psychiatric disorders are common in patients with epilepsy, but majority of the patients have no psychiatric disorders. Patient’s with epilepsy have unmet mental health needs.
Key words: Interictal, Epilepsy, Psychiatric Comorbidity.