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Anxiety and depression in children with epilepsy and their mothers

Orhan Baki1, Ayten Erdogan, Orhun Kantarci

  • 1Department of Neurology, Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey.

Epilepsy & Behavior : E&B
|December 8, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Children with epilepsy show higher rates of depression but not anxiety compared to healthy peers. This finding is independent of maternal mental health status.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Child Psychiatry
  • Clinical Psychology

Background:

  • Epilepsy in children and adolescents is frequently associated with emotional comorbidities.
  • While research often focuses on affected children, the impact on family members, particularly mothers, warrants investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between childhood epilepsy and the prevalence of depression and anxiety in both patients and their mothers.
  • To compare emotional health in children with epilepsy versus healthy controls and explore maternal psychological well-being.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study involving 35 children/adolescents with epilepsy (ages 7-19) and 35 matched healthy controls.
  • Standardized questionnaires (Kovac Child Depression Inventory, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children, Beck Depression Inventory) were administered to participants and their mothers.
  • Statistical analyses included Pearson correlations and Student's t tests to compare group scores and identify relationships.

Main Results:

  • Children with epilepsy exhibited significantly higher depression scores (CDI) than controls (P<0.05).
  • No significant differences in anxiety scores (STAIc) were found between children with epilepsy and controls (P>0.05).
  • Mothers of children with epilepsy did not report higher depression (BDI) or anxiety (STAI) levels than mothers of controls (P>0.05), with no correlation observed between maternal and child scores.

Conclusions:

  • Children and adolescents with epilepsy demonstrate a higher incidence of depressive symptoms compared to healthy peers.
  • Anxiety symptoms in children with epilepsy were not significantly different from controls.
  • Maternal mental health status does not appear to be directly correlated with the presence of epilepsy or its associated emotional symptoms in their children.
Abstract

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