Prevalence of Psychiatric Disorders in Adolescents With Epilepsy Attending a Tertiary Care Centre in South India

AIMS: Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders characterized by an enduring predisposition to generate seizures, which can affect all age groups. Prevalence of overall psychiatric disorders among persons with epilepsy is significantly higher, and children and adolescents with epilepsy were found to have even higher rate of disorders ranging from 35% to 50%. Along with anxiety and depressive disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is also a common psychiatric disorder in children and adolescents. This study was primarily aimed to estimate the prevalence of psychiatric disorders among adolescents diagnosed with epilepsy. It also looked for any association between such disorders with various sociodemographic and epilepsy related factors. METHODS: A cross sectional study was conducted among 117 adolescents aged 11 to 18 years diagnosed with epilepsy. Patients with intellectual disability were excluded. After taking written informed consent and assent from parents and participants, relevant sociodemographic and clinical data were recorded. Prediction of having a psychiatric disorder was made using multi-informant type of Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), with a total score in borderline range suggestive of possible and score in abnormal range suggestive of probable psychiatric disorder. Data were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 22. Chi-square test was used to find association between categorical variables. For all statistical interpretations, p < 0.05 was considered the threshold for statistical significance RESULTS: Assessment with multi-informant type of SDQ has predicted that 64.1% of adolescents with epilepsy has possible (23.9%) or probable (40.2%) psychiatric disorder. Prevalence of abnormal scores for hyperactivity subscale was 29.9%, conduct subscale was 29.1%, emotional symptoms subscale was 40.2% and peer-problem subscale was 27.4%. 88 % had high pro-social score suggestive of good social behaviors. An abnormal or borderline total difficulty score on SDQ was significantly associated with inadequate seizure control (p = 0.029). No significant association was noted between a higher total difficulty score on SDQ with age, sex, sociodemographic status or disease related variables like age of onset, duration and type of epilepsy, monotherapy or polytherapy or family history of psychiatric illness. CONCLUSION: A higher proportion of adolescents with epilepsy were identified to risk of having a psychiatric morbidity, which can possibly impair the quality of life and treatment outcome, particularly in Indian context. Early identification of such disorders using screening tools and a multidisciplinary approach for managing them at the earliest can possibly improve the outcome, for which further research is recommended.