Which symptoms are indicative of depression in epilepsy settings? An analysis of the diagnostic significance of somatic and non-somatic symptoms.

Background: Depression is a common psychiatric co-morbidity in epilepsy. However, there have been no previous studies which have investigated the validity of individual symptoms for comorbid depression in epilepsy, in particular the diagnostic value of somatic and non-somatic symptoms.

Methods: Patients with epilepsy diagnosed in a specialist epilepsy clinic were approached and completed several self-reported mood scales, prior to or immediately after their neurology outpatient consultations.