| dc.description.abstract | Objective: To determine the prevalence and factors associated with depression in
patients with epilepsy at Aga Khan University Hospital; Nairobi.
Design: A Cross-Sectional Survey.
Setting: Neurology clinic, Aga Khan University Hospital; Nairobi
Subjects: Eligible patients with epilepsy on follow-up at the neurology clinic were
recruited.
Intervention: Beck-Depression-Inventory was administered to evaluate presence of
depression.
Main Outcome Measures: In addition to depression, patients with co-morbid depression
were further evaluated for associated factors.
Results: Three-hundred-and-twenty-seven patients were evaluated for presence of
depression. Fifty-four patients in the study cohort had depression, giving prevalence
of depression; based on the Beck-Depression-Inventory as 16.5 %, (95 % CI 12.7-21.0)
There was weak association between mild depression and polytherapy (use of two
or more antiepileptic drugs), with OR 2.3, 95%CI 0.9-5.8 however, none between
polytherapy and moderate or severe depression. No statistically significant association
was found between depression and duration of epilepsy or number of seizures per
month over last three months.
Conclusion: The prevalence of depression in patients with epilepsy at Aga Khan
University Hospital, Nairobi was 16.5 %( 95% CI 12.7-21.0) and polytherapy was weakly
associated with mild depression. Depression among patients with epilepsy warrants
clinical attention especially in patients on polytherapy. The risk of AED polytherapy
was two-fold greater (OR 2.3, 95%CI 0.9-5.8) in patients with mild depression compared
to patients with epilepsy without depression. | en_US |
