Anxiety and Depression in Thai Epileptic Patients
Kanitpong Phabphal MD*, Suwanna Sattawatcharawanich MD*, Ponchai Sathirapunya MD*, Kitti Limapichart MD*
Affiliation : * Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla
Objective : To study the prevalence of depression and anxiety in Thai epileptic patients at Songklanagarind
Hospital, a tertiary care center in the South of Thailand.
Materials and Methods : One hundred and twenty six patients were included in the present study. A HADS
questionnaire and demographics data were used for data collection in the present cross-sectional study.
Results : Thirty-nine percent of the respondents had anxiety and 20% had depression. Predictors of anxiety by
univariate analysis were being female (p = 0.033) and seizure frequency (p = 0.001). Predictors of depression
were seizure frequency (p = 0.001) and a history of trauma associated with seizure activity (p = 0.005). Age,
type of seizure, amount of medication, duration of disease, socioeconomic status, occupation, education level,
and marital status were not predictors of depression or anxiety.
Conclusion : There is a high prevalence of depression and anxiety in Thai epileptics. Risk factors for depression
are seizure frequency and history of trauma while for anxiety they are gender and frequency of seizure.
Keywords : Depression, Anxiety, Epilepsy, Prevalence
