[Psychiatric and Psychological Comorbidities in Epilepsy: Clinical Features and Psychiatric Management]

Psychiatric comorbidities, including mood, anxiety, psychotic disorders, and autism spectrum disorder are common in patients with epilepsy (PWE), often occurring at rates 2-3-fold or higher than in the general population without epilepsy. Furthermore, an attention should be paid to psychiatric symptoms together with those caused by antiepileptic drug therapy, epilepsy surgery, and vagus nerve stimulation because these therapies sometimes induce psychiatric comorbidities. It is important to differentiate psychogenic non epileptic seizures (PNES) from epilepsy, and to provide patients with psychiatric treatment. We focused on the process and certainty of diagnosis and the managements of PNES. An accurate, undistorted understanding of the relationship between mental status and epilepsy is essential to ensure appropriate therapy and avoid misconceptions and unnecessary treatment. Psychiatric and psychological states should be evaluated at the time of the first visit in every PWE and patients should be provided adequate psychiatric therapy if necessary within the overall therapeutic plan.