Psychosocial adjustment of epilepsy patients in Cyprus

Factors Affecting Anxiety and Depression in Caregivers of Hemodialysis Patients

Anxiety and depression have high levels in caregivers of patients on hemodialysis and are strongly associated with demographic factors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the factors affecting anxiety and depression in caregivers of hemodialysis patients. Four hundred and fourteen (414) caregivers (98 males and 316 females) participated in this study. Depression and anxiety were assessed by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Multinomial logistic regression was performed to estimate the factors being independently associated with anxiety and depression levels. Multiple linear regression was performed to estimate the factors being independently associated with Beck Depression Inventory and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. From a total of 414 participants, 125 (30.2%) had depression and 215 (52%) had anxiety. The median age of respondents was 54.34 (43.9-66.28) years, with half of the sample's age ranging from 43.9 to 66.28 (IQR). Depression and anxiety were significantly associated with parents or siblings, low level of education, increased caregivers' age, retirement, poor financial condition, having children, and comorbidities. In this study, a significant proportion of caregivers were found to have high levels of depression and anxiety. Thus, a formal screening can contribute to early diagnosis and treatment of depression and anxiety in caregivers of patients on hemodialysis.

The role of socio-demographic factors in depression and anxiety of patients on hemodialysis: an observational cross-sectional study

PURPOSE

Depression and anxiety have high prevalence in patients on hemodialysis and are strongly associated with socio-economic factors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of depression and anxiety in hemodialyzed patients in Greece and its association with socio-demographic factors.

METHODS

Four hundred and fourteen (414) patients on hemodialysis (262 males and 152 females) from 24 dialysis centers in Greece participated in this observational cross-sectional study. Mean age was 63.54 (54.06-72.41), and mean time of dialysis treatment was 36 (16-72) months. Depression and anxiety were assessed by the state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI), the beck depression inventory (BDI) and the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS). Multinomial logistic regression was performed to estimate the factors being independently associated with anxiety and depression levels (HADS scale). Multiple linear regression was performed to estimate the factors being independently associated with BDI and STAI.

RESULTS

From a total of 414 participants, (29.4%, n = 122) had depression and 35.9% (n = 149) had anxiety. Depression and anxiety were significantly associated with females, low level of education, increased patients' age, retirement, poor financial situation, marital status and co-morbidities.

CONCLUSION

The overall study findings indicated a significant correlation between the levels of anxiety and depression in patients on hemodialysis. Patients with high levels of anxiety had higher levels of depression and those with high depression scores had higher anxiety scores.

Beyond medical diagnosis: Factors contributing to life satisfaction of women with epilepsy in Israel

This study was an exploratory study aimed to examine the contribution of both objective variables (such as education, occupational status, and leisure activity) and subjective variables (such as perceived disability, body image, and feminine self-image) to the life satisfaction of women with epilepsy in Israel. The study also sought to compare the findings with earlier studies of women with epilepsy or other disabilities in order to identify similar patterns in their life satisfaction. The study included 70 women, who had applied in the past to the Israel Epilepsy Association to obtain information and leisure activities. They were asked about their degree of life satisfaction in the context of their personal data including occupational status, leisure activity, perceived disability, body image, and feminine self-image. Findings indicated that higher education and perception of body image and femininity were positively correlated with higher life satisfaction. The regression model showed that perceived severity of disability and body image had the highest contribution to satisfaction with life, a fact that attests to the paramount importance of women's perception of their health disability in dealing with the disorder. These findings are discussed in relation to earlier comparative studies of those with/without epilepsy. The implications for practice suggest aspects that ought to be included in therapeutic interventions such as including contents related to feminine self-image and body image in the rehabilitation process as well as recommendations for future studies.

Research on psychosocial aspects of epilepsy in Arab countries: a review of literature

This study reviewed research conducted on the psychological aspects of epilepsy in Arab countries. Several databases (Medline, PubMed, Science Direct, Springer Link, and PsycInfo) were searched using the following two sets of search words: (1) Arab, Jordan, Lebanon, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iraq, Egypt, Yemen, Tunisia, Libya, Morocco, Algiers, Palestine, Mauritania, Djibouti, Sudan, Comoros, and Somalia; and (2) epilepsy, seizure disorders, and convulsive disorders. Fifty-one studies were conducted in 12 Arab states. Social/emotional, employment, and other problems; knowledge and attitudes; and quality of life (QOL) were the most commonly measured parameters of psychosocial aspects of epilepsy in Arab countries. Results revealed elevated levels of depression and anxiety, a decline in cognitive function, various behavioral problems, sexual dysfunction, and underemployment among persons with epilepsy (PWE). Misconceptions about epilepsy were found to be prevalent. While many studies reported limited knowledge of epilepsy, some studies found an average knowledge. Negative attitudes toward epilepsy were reported in most studies, and moderately positive attitudes were reported in some studies. Finally, PWE showed low overall QOL scores in the majority of studies.