Integrated psychological care services within seizure settings: Key components and implementation factors among example services in fourILAEregions: A report by theILAEPsychiatry Commission

Abstract

Mental health comorbidities are prevalent and problematic in patients with seizures but often suboptimally managed. To address common gaps in care, the Integrated Mental Health Care Pathways Task Force of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) Psychiatry Commission was tasked with providing education and guidance on the integration of mental health management (e.g., screening, referral, treatment) into routine seizure care. This report aims to describe a variety of established services in this area, with a specific focus on psychological care models. Services were identified by members of the ILAE Psychiatry Commission and authors of psychological intervention trials in epilepsy. A total of eight services met inclusion criteria and agreed to be showcased. They include three pediatric and five adult services located across four distinct ILAE regions (

Multi‐omics technologies and molecular biomarkers in brain tumor‐related epilepsy

“…It is also recommended to identify the underlying causes of epilepsy and its comorbidities (Figure 1). 2,7,8 Despite the development of new drugs for treating epilepsy, one‐third of patients still experience seizures; therefore, epilepsy remains a worldwide critical public health concern 9,10 …”

“…It is also recommended to identify the underlying causes of epilepsy and its comorbidities (Figure 1). 2,7,8 Despite the development of new drugs for treating epilepsy, one-third of patients still experience seizures; therefore, epilepsy remains a worldwide critical public health concern. 9,10 Central nervous system (CNS) cancer is the seventh most common tumor in adults and constitutes 25% of malignant tumors in children; it is also the second leading cause of cancer-related death in young people.…”

Fear of disease in patients with epilepsy – a network analysis

“…Due to the recurrent and unpredictable nature of epilepsy, patients with epilepsy experience psychological symptoms more frequently than the general population and individuals with other chronic diseases ( 1 , 2 ). For instance, anxiety disorders are highly prevalent as psychiatric comorbidities in epilepsy ( 3 ), with an average prevalence of 32.6% for clinically significant anxiety symptoms among individuals newly diagnosed with epilepsy ( 4 ).…”

Establishing a Psychosocial Screening Program in a High-Volume Pediatric Epilepsy Clinic Using the PedsQL—Epilepsy Module

“…One way to address the increased mental health needs of this population is through targeted services available as part of a multidisciplinary clinic (Samanta et al, 2021), and the International League Against Epilepsy has also provided support and guidance on developing such service lines (Gandy et al, 2023). Past research has demonstrated that integration of psychosocial services into pediatric epilepsy clinics is both feasible and necessary, given psychosocial risks discussed at length above including increased risks for depression and suicidality (Guilfoyle et al, 2013(Guilfoyle et al, , 2015.…”