The relationship of selected psychosocial and pathophysiological variables to depression in epilepsy patients

The physical changes caused seizures are intermittent; however, the behavioral changes, such as, increased dependency, and the concomitant psychosocial problems, for example, social isolation, frequently associated with epilepsy are pervasive. One of the more recurrent affective disorders correlated with epilepsy is depression. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of the patients' self concept, social support, cognitive appraisal and selected pathophysiological, treatment and demographic variables in predicting depression as an outcome of adaptation to having epilepsy.;There were 170 adult patients with epilepsy interviewed for this study. They were selected from a tertiary care center, an epilepsy support group, and private practice groups. In addition to the interview the subjects completed four instruments and the investigator reviewed their health records. The results of the data analyses were the following: Social support and conflict were the psychosocial variables most significantly related to depression. Having a legal driver's license the most significant demographic variable. Significant pathophysiological and treatment variables associated with depression in adults with epilepsy were pathology in a combination of cerebral lobes, no worthwhile improvement after surgical treatment and generalized seizures. Of the variables studied, the subjects' cognitive appraisal regarding having epilepsy contributed the most to the variance of the depression scores.