Title: Prevalence of Depression among Epilepsy Patients in a Tertiary Care Hospital of North-East Region
Authors: Dr Atul Debbarma, Dr Bappaditya Roy, Dr Siddhartha Debbarma
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v8i7.68
Abstract
Introduction: Epilepsy describes a condition in which a person has recurrent seizures due to chronic, underlying process. The definition implies that a person with a single seizure or recurrent seizures due to correctable or avoidable circumstances does not necessarily have epilepsy. Using the definition of epilepsy as two or more unprovoked seizures, the incidence of epilepsy is approximately 0.3 – 0. 5 % in different populations throughout the world and the prevalence of epilepsy has been estimated at 5 – 10 persons per 1000(1). Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder that affects populations worldwide and leads to severe personal, familial and social impact.
The word epilepsy is derived from Greek and means to “seize upon” or “taking hold of”. Epilepsy describes a condition in which a person has a tendency for recurrent, usually unprovoked seizures due to chronic, underlying process. One of the first descriptions of epileptic seizures can be traced back to 2000 years in ancient texts from Mesopotamia. Hippocrates studied the disease and disputed its divine origin in his classic treatise On The Sacred Disease.
Aim of the Study: This study aims to find out the prevalence of depression among epilepsy patients in a tertiary care hospital of north-east region.
Materials and Methods: It was cross sectional study done on 100 patients attended to psychiatry OPD and referred from medicine OPD / IPD of AGMC & GBP Hospital, Agartala between January 2016 to December 2016.
Result: Out of these 100 epilepsy patient in the age group of 12 to 60 years shows 50 % were having depression. Moreover out of these 100 patients 29% had mild depression, 13% had moderate depression and 8% had severe depression. Most of the study subjects have the epilepsy since their ages between 12 to 28 years (39%) followed by 29 to 44 years (37%)
Most important this study shows out of these 100 patients male (54%) followed by female (46%). Surprisingly out of these 100 patients 37% were from upper middle class, 8% from lower middle class followed by 13% from upper lower class and 5% from upper class. Moreover 59% patients were married followed by unmarried 41%.
This study also reflect that 65% patients come from nuclear family followed by 35% from joint family. Ultimately the result of the study conclude that 41% patients had generalised tonic clonic seizure followed by followed by complex partial seizure (26 %) and absence seizure (24%). Simple partial seizure is 5% and partial seizure with secondary generalization is 4% and out of these 100 epileptic patient depression persist in 50 patient and among these 50 patients. Among 50 patients, depression in generalized tonic clonic seizure (20) is more than complex partial seizure (18) followed by absence seizure (7).
Discussion: In this study, data analysis revealed that the prevalence of depression among epileptic patients was 50% of all 100 epileptic subjects, divided between 29% have mild depression, 13% have moderate depression, and 8% have severe depression. The prevalence of depression among epileptic patients is variable in the previous studies, from as low as (9.5%) as shown in the study of Pooya & Sperlin(47), to as high as (61%) as shown in the study of Yousafzai et al.(44)
In my study finding about 50% of our patients had depression, in spite of high prevalence in comparison with some previous studies. Differences of the prevalence of depression may be because of methodological differences and may be due to associated socio-economic factors in our society.
