[Anxiety and depressive symptoms in epilepsy in the context of defense mechanisms and electrodermal activity].

Unlabelled: Depressive and anxiety disorders among people with epilepsy are more common than in general population and they are associated with less efficient emotion regulation and reduced quality of life. Unfortunately, these disorders are not always correctly diagnosed or treated. Some studies suggest that the electrodermal activity may serve as a marker for depression.

Aim: The aim of the study was to measure and compare depressive and anxiety symptoms, defense mechanisms and electrodermal activity in response to cognitive stimulation in patients with epilepsy with the control group, and to test the correlations between symptoms of anxiety and depression, defense mechanisms and the electrodermal activity.

Materials And Methods: 64 patients diagnosed with epilepsy and 66 people from the control group were assessed with following psychological questionnaires: State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory, Defense Styles Questionnaire 40. MindLAB Set was used to measure electrodermal activity.

Results: The study showed that people with epilepsy tend to have increased levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms compared with the control group. Patients also tend to use neurotic defense mechanisms what may be associated with poorer emotion regulation. Electrodermal activity was lower among people with epilepsy after cognitive stimulation. There was no statistically significant correlation between electrodermal activity, anxiety and depressive symptoms.

Conclusions: The results indicate the need for assessment of anxiety, depressive symptoms and types of defense mechanisms among patients with epilepsy, as appropriate psychotherapeutic and/or pharmacological intervention could significantly improve the quality of life of these patients.