In adolescents with epilepsy, high scores of anxiety and depression are associated with occurrence of seizures in public places.

OBJECTIVE: To assess depression and anxiety symptoms of adolescents with epilepsy compared with adolescents without epilepsy. METHOD: The study sample consisted of: case participants (50 subjects) attending the pediatric epilepsy clinic of a tertiary hospital and control participants (51 subjects) from public schools. The instruments utilized were: identification card with demographic and epilepsy data, Beck Depression Inventory and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. RESULTS: No significant differences were founded between the groups regarding scores for depression and anxiety symptoms but both groups presented moderate scores of anxiety. A correlation was found between low scores anxiety and not frequent seizures, low scores anxiety and perception of seizure control, high scores of anxiety and depression and occurrence of seizures in public places. CONCLUSION: Low scores of anxiety are associated with not frequent seizures; high scores of anxiety and depression are associated with occurrence of seizures in public places.

In adolescents with epilepsy, high scores of anxiety and depression are associated with occurrence of seizures in public places / Em adolescentes com epilepsia, altos escores de ansiedade e depressão foram associados com ocorrência de crises em lugares públicos

Objective To assess depression and anxiety symptoms of adolescents with epilepsy compared with adolescents without epilepsy. Method The study sample consisted of: case participants (50 subjects) attending the pediatric epilepsy clinic of a tertiary hospital and control participants (51 subjects) from public schools. The instruments utilized were: identification card with demographic and epilepsy data, Beck Depression Inventory and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Results No significant differences were founded between the groups regarding scores for depression and anxiety symptoms but both groups presented moderate scores of anxiety. A correlation was found between low scores anxiety and not frequent seizures, low scores anxiety and perception of seizure control, high scores of anxiety and depression and occurrence of seizures in public places. Conclusion Low scores of anxiety are associated with not frequent seizures; high scores of anxiety and depression are associated with occurrence of seizures in public places. .

Objetivo O presente estudo teve como objetivo avaliar os sintomas de ansiedade e depressão de adolescentes com epilepsia comparados com adolescentes sem epilepsia. Método A amostra consistiu: grupo caso (50 indivíduos) atendidos no ambulatório de epilepsia infantil do Hospital Universitário e grupo controle (51 indivíduos) de escolas públicas. Os instrumentos utilizados foram: cartão com dados demográficos e de epilepsia, Beck Depression Inventory e State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Resultados Os resultados não mostraram diferenças significativas entre os grupos em relação à depressão e ansiedade, mas ambos os grupos apresentaram escores moderados de ansiedade. Foi encontrada correlação entre baixa pontuação de ansiedade e crises não frequentes e percepção de controle de crises; altas pontuações de ansiedade e depressão e ocorrência de crises em lugares públicos. Conclusão Variáveis psicossociais e da doença são contingências importantes no comportamento adaptativo e controle do humor em uma doença crônica como a epilepsia. .

Quality of life in epilepsy: a study of Brazilian adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: Our objectives were: to assess the QOL of Brazilian adolescents with epilepsy with a specific QOL assessment tool; to compare the adolescents with epilepsy and healthy adolescents using a generic QOL assessment tool; to correlate the 2 different QOL assessment tools (the generic and the epilepsy-specific); and to correlate QOL scores of the adolescents with epilepsy obtained by both tools with physical, psychological and social variables of the disease. METHODS: Fifty subjects (case group) attending the outpatient clinic of epilepsy of the Clinics Hospital of UNICAMP, Campinas-SP, answered the Brazilian version of the QOL inventory for adolescents with epilepsy--QOLIE-AD-48 and the QOL Questionnaire--WHOQOL-BREF-Portuguese version. Fifty-one subjects (control group) from public schools in Campinas-SP answered only the WHOQOL-BREF. RESULTS: The results showed that adolescents with epilepsy presented a good score of QOL in both tools; overall scores for both groups with WHOQOL-BREF were good, but a statistically significant difference was seen with regards to the Psychological domain of the WHOQOL-BREF favoring the control group. Significant correlations between QOLIE-AD-48 Total and WHOQOL domains were found. Adolescents that were considered seizure-free (P = 0.001), had good perception of seizure control (P = 0.012) and had not had occurrence of seizures in public places (P = 0.001) presented better QOL scores. CONCLUSIONS: Brazilian adolescents with epilepsy may present good QOL scores when they themselves consider the disease as under control; physical, social and especially psychological variables associated to the disease may play an important role in these results. As a generic QOL tool, WHOQOL-BREF was sufficient to allow for a comparison between chronic disease bearers and healthy adolescents and showed that the gap in QOL between both populations is not as extensive as once was thought, probably due to better support and adaptation to the disease.