Background: Patients with epilepsy commonly report depressive symptoms. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the
relationship between epilepsy, antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) and depression. We also wanted to evaluate possible association between
depressive symptofigms in patients with epilepsy with the quality of life (QoL).
Material and methods: This was a prospective cross-sectional study carried out at the tertiary teaching hospital (University
Hospital Centre Zagreb, Croatia) with Ethics committee approval. Questionnaires evaluating depressive symptoms and QoL were
administered to consecutive patients treated in the Referral Centre of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Croatia for Epilepsy.
Depressive symptoms were evaluated using Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D17). Quality of life was assessed using
Quality of life in epilepsy-31 inventory (QOLIE-31)
Results: 108 patients (63% women, 37% men; mean age 39.54±15.91 years, range 18-80 years) with epilepsy were included.
14.8% of patients had focal, 35.2% generalised and 40.7% both types of epilepsy. Majority of patients (65.74%) were on two and
more AEDs and quarter was on monotherapy (25%); 42% were on newer, 19% on older and 39% on both AEDs. Mean total score
on HAM-D17 was 9.94±8.18 (men - mean total score 10.16±8.85, women - mean total score 9.81±7.84). There were no significant
differences on HAM-
newer AEDs, or both types AEDs) and results on HAM-D17, nor between the type of epilepsy and results on HAM-D17. We found
strong negative correlation between the higher QoL and HAM-D17 (p=0.000).
Conclusions: Results of this study evaluating depressive symptoms in patients with epilepsy demonstrate that our patients mainly
experience mild depressive symptoms, with no significant differences on HAM-D17 regarding gender and age. Patients with epilepsy
with less pronounced depressive symptoms were found to have higher QoL. We did not find statistically significant differences
regarding the type of epilepsy and results on HAM-D17, nor between the AEDs (older vs. newer AEDs, or both types AEDs) and
results on HAM-D17