[Epidemiologic aspects and relevance of mental disorders associated with epilepsy]

Epilepsy is the most common serious neurological disorder. Worldwide, around 50 million people have epilepsy, 40 million of which in developing countries. Though epilepsy is predominantly treatable, most patients in these countries remain without treatment. It is likely that one of the main reasons is the stigma associated with epilepsy. This problem increases when mental disorders are associated with epilepsy, a fairly frequent occurrence. Patients with epilepsy and mental disorders are exposed to a "double stigma", which frequently leads to complete absence of treatment. It is probable that, particularly in developing countries, psychiatrists will be involved with the treatment of people with epilepsy. Our purpose was to review the epidemiology of mental disorders associated with epilepsy, its treatment gap and impact upon quality of life of the patients.