Exploring the association between epilepsy and depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Objective This study offers meta-analytic data on the potential association between epilepsy and depression especially for the prevalence of depression in epilepsy or vice versa. Methods The relevant studies were searched and identified from nine electronic databases. Studies that mentioned the prevalence and/or incidence of epilepsy and depression were included. Hand searches were also included. The search language was English and the search time was through May 2022. Where feasible, random-effects models were used to generate pooled estimates. Results After screening electronic databases and other resources, 48 studies from 6,234 citations were included in this meta-analysis. The period prevalence of epilepsy ranged from 1% to 6% in patients with depression. In population-based settings, the pooled period prevalence of depression in patients with epilepsy was 27% (95% CI, 23–31) and 34% in clinical settings (95% CI, 30–39). Twenty studies reported that seizure frequency, low income, unemployment of the patients, perception of stigma, anxiety, being female, unmarried status, disease course, worse quality of life, higher disability scores, and focal-impaired awareness seizures were risk factors for depression. Conclusion Our study found that epilepsy was associated with an increased risk of depression. Depression was associated with the severity of epilepsy.

Prevalence and factors associated with depressive symptoms among patients with epilepsy in Ethiopia: a national-based systematic review and meta-analysis

“…Therefore, the difference in the assessment tools might overestimate the magnitude of depressive symptoms in our findings. This finding also had a significantly higher magnitude than other studies carried out in China (34%) ( 57 ), Australia (22.9%) ( 58 ) and America (23.1%) ( 18 ). The high prevalence of depressive symptoms reported in the studies under review suggests that the psychological toll of epilepsy may be particularly severe in low-income settings ( 59 , 60 ).…”

Risk analysis of depression among adult patients with epilepsy of different sex: a retrospective single-center study from China

“…One meta-analysis showed that more than 20 studies had reported that seizure frequency is a risk factor for depression ( 46 ). We also observed that seizure frequency was an independent risk factor for depression in both males and females.…”

Stigma and psychosocial problems in patients with epilepsy

“…Moreover, stigma contributes to the development of psychiatric comorbidities, such as anxiety and depression, and has a detrimental impact on the overall quality of life. Numerous studies indicate anxiety rates among epilepsy patients ranging from 31% to 56% [11], while depression rates range from 27% to 34%, with stigma being identified as a root cause of these psychological issues [12].…”