Prevalence and risk factors of anxiety and depression in adult patients with epilepsy: a multicenter survey-based study.

Background: Depression and anxiety are the most common psychiatric comorbidities in patients with epilepsy (PWE). However, they are often unrecognized and consequently untreated.

Objective: The study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence and risk factors of anxiety and depression among Chinese adult PWE.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Methods: Adult PWE were recruited from 13 tertiary epilepsy centers from February to September 2022. Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 and Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy were applied to evaluate anxiety and depression, respectively. Both univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses models were performed to explore the risk factors of anxiety and depression.

Results: A total of 1326 PWE were enrolled in this study. The prevalence of anxiety and depression was 31.45% and 27.30%, respectively. Being female [odds ratio (OR) = 1.467, 95% CI: 1.134-1.899;  = 0.004], focal and focal to bilateral tonic-clonic seizures (TCSZ) (OR = 1.409, 95% CI: 1.021-1.939;  = 0.036), and seizure occurrence in the last 3 months (OR = 1.445, 95% CI: 1.026-2.044;  = 0.036) were the risk factors for anxiety. Focal and focal to bilateral TCSZ (OR = 1.531, 95% CI: 1.094-2.138;  = 0.013) and seizure occurrence in the last 3 months (OR = 1.644, 95% CI: 1.130-2.411;  = 0.010) were the risk factors for depression. In addition, for every 1-year increment of age, the odds of developing depression were decreased by 3.8% ( = 4.12e). Nevertheless, up to 70% of PWE did not receive any treatment for comorbidity.

Conclusion: There were approximately 30% of PWE screened positive for anxiety or depression. Both focal and focal to bilateral TCSZ and seizure occurrence in the last 3 months were estimated as risk factors for anxiety and depression. However, the current status of treatment was not optimal.