Assessment of depression anxiety and stress levels among patients with epilepsy in a case control study

Abstract

Introduction: People with epilepsy frequently experience depression, anxiety, and stress, which can significantly impact their quality of life and overall well-being. This study aimed to identify psychiatric comorbidities in individuals with epilepsy by assessing their prevalence and comparing them with a healthy control group. Methodology: This case-control study was conducted in the department of Anatomy, and patients were recruited from the Out-Patient Department of Neurology, from August 2022 to February 2024. The total number of participants was 388, including 194 Cases. 194 healthy controls were matched for age and sex, with participants under the age of 18 excluded. Psychiatric comorbidity was evaluated using standardized assessment tools and analyzed with Chi-square and one-way ANOVA. Results: The study involved 194 patients and 194 healthy controls, with a mean age of 25.11 ± 10.28 years. Among the patients, 58.2% were female and 41.8% were male. A significant difference in depression levels was found between patients on monotherapy and polytherapy (p = 0.003). However, no significant differences were found in anxiety (p = 0.214) and stress (p = 0.139). There are no significant links between depression, anxiety, stress and antiepileptic drugs. Patients with epilepsy exhibited significantly higher levels of depression, anxiety, and stress compared to healthy controls, with a statistical significance of p = 0.001. Conclusion: The study highlights the elevated levels of depression, anxiety, and stress among patients with epilepsy. Clinicians and healthcare practitioners should adopt comprehensive and holistic assessment methods to address and mitigate these psychiatric comorbidities in epilepsy patients. © The Author(s) 2025.