The prevalence of anxiety and associated factors in persons with epilepsy

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to estimate the prevalence of, and factors associated with, anxiety in epilepsy. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis using data from the Neurological Disease and Depression Study. The prevalence of anxiety and associated factors were assessed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression. Of the total sample (n = 250 patients), nearly 40.0% of participants had anxiety according to the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. The most prevalent symptom of anxiety was "worrying thoughts" (35.6%). After adjustment for age and sex, depression (odds ratio [OR] = 8.97, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 4.38-18.40), medication side effects (OR = 1.79, 95% CI = 1.04-3.05), smoking (OR = 4.35, 95% CI = 2.27-8.31), and illicit substance use (OR = 2.42, 95% CI = 1.18-4.96) were significantly associated with higher odds of anxiety, whereas higher education (OR = 0.47, 95% CI = 0.28-0.80) was associated with lower odds of anxiety. Furthermore, participants with anxiety reported more severe epilepsy, debilitating seizures, and overall lower quality of life. Evidence from our study reveals a high prevalence of anxiety in persons with epilepsy and that anxiety is associated with a variety of negative outcomes. These findings further emphasize the need for more studies to understand the impact of anxiety and its relationship with various sociodemographic and clinical factors.

Prevalence and risk factors of depression and anxiety among patients with convulsive epilepsy in rural West China

“…19 One explanation might be the method of diagnosis, which may lead to different reported occur- Most studies show that individuals with a lower level of education are more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression. 6,23 However, this study fails to support the association between education, depression, and anxiety. This may result from the small number of highly educated patients in this population, thereby not providing enough power to demonstrate any differences.…”

The mortality burden attributable to nontrauma fracture for privately insured adults with epilepsy

“…The systemic stress induced by an NTFx may create an unfavorable physiological environment that exacerbates risk for post‐NTFx complications and premature mortality, through either direct or indirect mechanisms . Individuals with epilepsy are particularly susceptible to post‐NTFx complications because of their greater lifetime burden of unhealthful aging, as evidenced by an elevated prevalence of chronic diseases in adulthood . Therefore, adults with epilepsy may already have a compromised physiological environment and skeletal fragility (eg, history of NTFx), and sustaining an NTFx may further exacerbate risk of post‐NTFx complications and premature mortality.…”

“…Therefore, adults with epilepsy may have greater risk of post‐NTFx mortality because of their poor skeletal development and preservation throughout the lifespan and other unhealthful aging processes. Specifically, individuals with epilepsy have greater risk of chronic diseases across biological systems, including cardiometabolic, respiratory, gastrointestinal, liver, and other neurological diseases, as well as a variety of mental health disorders . Furthermore, there is strong evidence to suggest that individuals with epilepsy have greater risk of premature mortality compared to individuals without epilepsy .…”

Worrying More about Anxiety in Patients with Epilepsy

“…In a recent study, Pham and colleagues (8) attempted to estimate the prevalence of anxiety in epilepsy and described the factors associated with it. Controlling for age and sex, depression, medication side effects, smoking, and illicit substance use were associated with higher anxiety.…”