Prevalence of depression and associated factors among epileptic patients at Ilu Ababore zone hospitals, South West Ethiopia, 2017: a cross‑sectional study

Suicidal behavior and associated factors among holy water users at Northwest, Ethiopia, 2023: an institution based cross-sectional study

Background

Suicide is a serious cause of mortality that affects families, communities, and the entire country. Because of a lack of national systematic reporting for cause-specific mortality, a high level of stigma, and religious non-acceptance, suicidal behavior is an under-reported and concealed cause of death in the majority of low- and middle-income countries.

Objective

The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of suicidal behavior and associated factors among holy water users at the Andassa Saint George Monastery, 2023.

Methods

An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted at the Andassa Saint George Monastery from 5 April to 5 May 2023. A systematic random sampling method was utilized to select 423 study participants and the Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised was used to assess suicidal behavior. The data were gathered using the epicollect5 software with a face-to-face interview method then exported to SPSS-25 for analysis. A binary logistic regression model was used and all variables in a bivariate analysis with a p-value of less than 0.25 were entered into a multivariable logistic regression model, and statistical significance was declared at a p-value of less than 0.05.

Results

The prevalence of suicidal behavior among holy water users was 9.7% (95% CI: 7.1-12.4). Being female [2.632 (1.206-5.748)], living alone [2.52 (1.06-5.97)], and having depression [3.03 (1.32-6.99)], epilepsy [3.82 (1.28-11.40)], and diabetes mellitus [3.37 (1.229-9.25)] were significantly associated with suicidal behavior.

Conclusion

In this study, almost 1 in 10 had engaged in suicidal behavior in their lifetime. Several risk factors for suicidal behavior were identified, including being female, living alone, and having diabetes mellitus, epilepsy, and depression.

Psychiatric comorbidity in people with epilepsy in Ethiopia: Systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Psychiatric comorbidity is a double burden among people with epilepsy. Since people with epilepsy are more vulnerable to psychiatric illnesses. So, the implementation of an appropriate intervention to minimize the double burden of comorbidity is very important. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the prevalence and associated factors of psychiatric comorbidity among people with epilepsy in Ethiopia.

METHODS

This systematic review and meta-analysis followed the Preferred Reporting Item Review and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) guideline. Searching databases were PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, and HINARI.The quality of the included articles was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). The pooled meta-logistic regression was computed to estimate the pooled prevalence and the risk factors with a 95% CI.

RESULTS

The pooled prevalence of psychiatric comorbidity in people with epilepsy was 34.69 % (95 % CI: 29.27, 40.10). Frequent seizures (POR = 2.94: 95 % CI: 1.08, 8.00) and a history of divorce (POR = 2.00: 95 % CI: 1.09, 3.81) were associated factors of psychiatric comorbidity in people with epilepsy.

CONCLUSIONS

This systematic review and meta-analysis revealed that the pooled prevalence of psychiatric comorbidity among people with epilepsy was found to be higher compared with the general population. Therefore, among people with epilepsy, parallel psychiatric evaluation is very important along with neurological evaluation.

The Prevalence of Depression in Patients With Epilepsy in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Objective Among patients with epilepsy (PWE), the prevalence of depression ranges from 30% to 50%, with a 5-25% prevalence of suicide. Depression and epilepsy affect daily tasks such as driving, employment, and physical activity. Depression is the most common comorbidity among patients with epilepsy. Because both conditions involve pathophysiological changes, treating mood disorders helps treat epilepsy and vice versa. Studies about epilepsy and depression in Saudi Arabia are scarce, and no study has been conducted on this topic at King Fahad Medical City (KFMC); hence, we aimed to determine the prevalence of depression among PWE who were followed up at KFMC. Methods This retrospective hospital-based study was conducted at KFMC in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This investigation spanned a period of 10 years, from 2008 to 2018. The study included patients with PWE who were diagnosed with depression. Results According to a study of individuals aged 18 to 69, 73.7% of patients had been diagnosed with chronic depression (i.e., for more than a year); most of these patients had completed elementary school. Higher rates of depression were also observed among elementary school pupils, divorced women, and non-Riyadh residents. A correlation was observed between the severity of depression based on the Patient's Health Questionnaire( PHQ-9) score, which was used to screen for depression and diabetes mellitus (DM), the number of antidepressant medications (ADM) used, the duration of antidepressant use, suicidal ideation or attempts, and the duration of depression. Epilepsy was most prevalent in the temporal lobe, accounting for 22.6% of all cases, and it was managed in 78.2% of the patients. The duration of epilepsy was significantly associated with the severity of depression.

Factors Associated With Anxiety and Depression in Persons With Epilepsy (PWE)

INTRODUCTION

Epilepsy is a common neurological disease that is associated with increased morbidity and mortality globally. Persons with epilepsy (PWE) experience a heavy emotional burden mainly due to social stigmatization and limited opportunities in life. The purpose of this study was to explore factors associated with anxiety and depression in PWE.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

In the present cross-sectional study, we enrolled 100 PWE who visited outpatient settings in a public hospital for scheduled follow-up. Data collection was carried out by the completion of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), which included participants' characteristics. The statistical significance level was p < 0.05.

RESULTS

Of the 100 participants, the majority were women (65%), below 50 years old (62%), and single (40%). In terms of mental comorbidity, 58% and 48% experienced anxiety and depression, respectively. A statistically significant association was observed between anxiety and age (p = 0.002). Furthermore, a statistically significant association was observed between depression and gender (p = 0.044), age (p = 0.001), marital status (p = 0.036), educational level (p = 0.003), job (p = 0.025), residency (p = 0.041), and whether they went out at night (p = 0.009).

CONCLUSION

Identifying factors associated with anxiety and depression is essential for PWE to receive appropriate support.

Prevalence and factors associated with depressive symptoms among patients with epilepsy in Ethiopia: a national-based systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Depression is a major public health problem and negatively affects the quality of life of patients with epilepsy. Despite multiple studies investigating the magnitude and predictors, the results have been inconsistent. Therefore, this study aimed to estimate the pooled prevalence and factors associated with depressive symptoms among patients with epilepsy in Ethiopia.

Methods

The primary articles were searched using databases like PubMed, Google Scholar, CINAHL, SCOPUS, EMBASE, and African Journal Online. A total of 10 primary articles that assessed the prevalence and factors associated with depressive symptoms among patients with epilepsy in Ethiopia were included. A Microsoft Excel spreadsheet was used to extract the data, which was then exported to Stata version 14 for further analysis. The statistical heterogeneity was evaluated using the I2 test. Due to heterogeneity, a random effect meta-analysis model was employed. Publication bias was checked through Egger's weighted regression test and funnel plot.

Results

A total of 10 primary studies with 3,532 participants were included. The pooled prevalence of depressive symptoms among patients with epilepsy was found to be 41.69% (95% CI, 37.70, 45.68). The pooled prevalence of depressive symptoms was 48.61, 42.98, 40.68, 38.27, and 34.80% in Oromia, SNNPs, Amhara, Addis Ababa, and Tigray, respectively, based on a sub-group analysis per regional state. Perceived stigma (AOR = 3.30, 95% CI: 1.40, 7.80), seizure frequency (AOR = 3.81, 95% CI: 1.03, 14.09), and perceived stress (AOR = 4.6, 95% CI: 1.05, 20.06) were factors associated with depressive symptoms.

Conclusion

We found that depressive symptoms affects at least four out of ten patients with epilepsy, indicating an immense burden. Depressive symptoms were extremely prevalent in those who had high levels of stigma, a monthly seizure frequency of once or more, and perceived stress. Therefore, physicians should take extra precautions when treating patients with epilepsy who have certain conditions.

Systematic review registration

This study was registered according to The International Prospective Register of Systemic Review (PROSPERO) with the registration ID (CRD42023484308).

Risk analysis of depression among adult patients with epilepsy of different sex: a retrospective single-center study from China

Objective

To determine sex differences in the prevalence of depression and assess the risk factors for depression among adult patients with epilepsy from the Dali area of China.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of adult patients with epilepsy who visited the First Affiliated Hospital of Dali University from January 2017 to January 2022. Patient Health Questionnaire-9 was used to assess depressive symptoms in patients with epilepsy. The risk factors of depression were analyzed by binary logistic regression among different sex in patients with epilepsy.

Results

There were significant sex differences in depression in patients with epilepsy (p < 0.001), and females were 4.27 times more likely to suffer from depression than males (95% confidence interval: 3.70-4.92). The risk factors for depression among female patients with epilepsy included occupation (p < 0.001), years with epilepsy (p < 0.001), seizure frequency (p < 0.001), seizure type (p < 0.001), etiology (p < 0.001), number of antiseizure medications used (p < 0.001), antiseizure medications (p < 0.001), and electroencephalogram findings (p < 0.001). The risk factors for depression among male patients with epilepsy included age (p < 0.001), ethnicity (p < 0.001), occupation (p < 0.001), years with epilepsy (p < 0.001), seizure frequency (p < 0.001), seizure type (p < 0.001), etiology (p < 0.001), number of antiseizure medications used (p < 0.001), antiseizure medications (p < 0.001), and electroencephalogram findings (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Adult female patients with epilepsy had a higher risk of depression than adult male patients with epilepsy. There were sex differences in the risk factors associated with depression among patients with epilepsy.

Magnitude and associated factors of chewing khat during pregnancy in Eastern Ethiopia, 2022: a mixed method cross-sectional study

Introduction

khat (Catha edulis Forsk), is an evergreen flowering tree or shrub widely produced and consumed in East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. In Ethiopia, it is largely produced, freely marketed and consumed by almost all segments of the population. This is more pronounced in the Eastern part of the country. However, there exists little scientific information on the level and associated factors of khat use among pregnant women in Ethiopia, despite a few available evidences indicated its adverse effect on pregnancy outcomes. Moreover, the perceived reasons for chewing khat during pregnancy were not yet explored qualitatively to triangulate the quantitative findings. Hence, the aim of the present study was to determine the magnitude and associated factors of chewing khat during pregnancy in Eastern Ethiopia, 2022, in a Mixed Method study approach.

Methods

an institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from August 1st to 14th, 2022 using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Two hundred forty-two pregnant mothers on Antenatal care (ANC) were included in the study. Moreover, 18 purposively selected pregnant mothers on ANC were also considered for qualitative data. Analysis of quantitative data was performed on Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 27 and thematic framework analysis was performed for qualitative data. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify variables which are significantly associated with khat chewing during pregnancy and to estimate the variable's crude and adjusted odds' ratio with corresponding 95% CI. The statistically significant association was declared at p-value of less than 5.

Results

the overall magnitude of chewing khat during pregnancy in the present study was 27.4% (95% CI: 22.2-33.0). Variables which significantly associated with chewing khat during pregnancy in this study were being >26 years [adjusted odds' ratio (AOR)=2.81 95% CI: 1.19-6.59], being a rural resident (AOR=2.82 95% CI: 1.19-6.69), being illiterate (AOR=4.31 95% CI: 1.02-18.20), participants having chewer husbands (AOR=3.51 95% CI: 1.33-9.24) and respondents having other chewer family members (AOR=3.05 95% CI: 1.19-7.77). In addition, the perceived reasons for chewing khat explored through in-depth interviews were for socialization, to obey tradition, to be happy with friends, husbands and families, to be free from tensioned situations, to be effective in performing daily activities, and due to lack of knowledge of its harm.

Conclusion

in the present study, a relatively higher proportion of mothers chewed khat during their current pregnancy. Being older age, living in rural areas, being illiterate, having khat chewer husbands and other family members were statistically significant variables associated with khat chewing during pregnancy. Moreover, pregnant mothers are practicing chewing of khat in the current study area due to deep-rooted sociocultural issues. Hence, creation of awareness on possible harm of chewing khat during pregnancy especially for those found to be at significantly increased risk of consumption in this study is highly recommended during their antenatal care visits. In addition, creation of awareness out of health institutions, at household and community level, is highly recommended, probably using community volunteers (health development armies) in the present study area. At last, we highly also recommend the local government and religious leaders to work on how to stop the chewing practice especially during pregnancy. For example, the local government and religious leaders can work on averting consideration of chewing by the community as culturally accepted practices.

Perceived stigma, discrimination and psychological problems among patients with epilepsy

Objective

The current study sought to investigate the effects of perceived stigma and discrimination on epilepsy patients' psychological problems, such as depression, anxiety, and quality of life.

Study design

A purposive sampling technique was used in this cross-sectional study.

Materials and methods

The sample consisted of 186 patients with epilepsy. The Stigma Scale, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, and Quality of life in Epilepsy-10 were used to measure the study variables.

Results

Findings showed that both the perception of stigma and discrimination have a significant positive correlation with depression as well as anxiety. Stigma is a significant positive predictor of depression and anxiety at [F (1, 184) = 27.8, 15.92, p < 0.001, 0.001, respectively] and explains 12.7 and 7.5% variance that could be attributed to Stigma. Stigma is also a significant predictor of quality of life at [F (1, 184) = 16.10, p < 0.001] and explains the 7.5% variance that could be attributed to Stigma. Results also indicate that discrimination is a significant positive predictor of depression and anxiety at [F (1, 184) = 32.39, 19.91, p < 0.001] and explains 15 and 9.8 % variance, respectively, that could be attributed to Stigma. However, stigma negatively predicts quality of life at [F (1, 184) = 20.34, p < 0.001] and explains 10 % variance. Non-significant differences were found in all the demographic variables (i.e., gender, socio-economic status, and disease duration), except the quality of life was significantly high among individuals with high Socio-economic status.

Conclusions

Stigma is significantly higher in epileptic patients and has a detrimental effect on the patient's quality of life, recovery, and prognosis. Thus, there is undoubtedly a need to address psychological issues, most notably the stigma associated with illnesses. Psychologists, psychiatrists, other physicians, and care givers of epileptic patients must pay close attention to the stigma in this patient population.

Difficulties in emotion and social support in people with epilepsy: relationship with depression levels

Amaç: Bu çalışmada epilepsili bireylerde depresyon düzeyi ile duygu düzenleme güçlükleri ve sosyal destek arasındaki ilişkiyi incelemeyi amaçladık. Gereç ve Yöntem: Fokal epilepsi tanısı ile takip edilmekte olan hastalara Nörolojik Bozukluklarda Depresyon Ölçeği-Epilepsi (NDDI-E), Duygu Düzenleme Güçlükleri Ölçeği (DDGÖ) ve İki Yönlü Sosyal Destek Ölçeği (2-YSDÖ) verilmiştir. Bulgular: Çalışmaya 109 hasta dahil edilmiştir. Hastaların %25’inde depresyon saptanmıştır. Depresyonu olan olguların DDGÖ median değeri 45 (28-55), depresyon saptanmayan grubun ise 24 (18-33,5)’dür. Depresyonu olan grubun DDGÖ skorunun depresyonu olmayan gruba kıyasla anlamlı derecede yüksek olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Tüm çalışma popülasyonunda yapılan 2-YSDÖ (92 (69,5-102,5)) ve DDGÖ (27 (19-41)) skorlarının korelasyon analizinde sosyal destek ve duygu düzenleme güçlükleri arasında negatif bir ilişki mevcuttur. Regresyon analizine göre ise duygu düzenleme güçlükleri depresyonun ana belirleyicisidir ve depresyonu %16,8 oranında açıklamaktadır. Sonuç: Epilepsili bireylerde duygu düzenleme güçlükleri depresyonun ana belirleyicilerinden biridir ve yetersiz sosyal destek duygu düzenleme güçlükleri ile ilişkilidir. Epilepsili bireylerde depresyon sıklığını azaltmak için duygu düzenleme stratejilerini güçlendirecek rehabilitasyon programlarına ihtiyaç vardır.

Perceived stress, resilience, and stress coping in patients with drug resistant epilepsy and functional dissociative seizures

PURPOSE

Depression and anxiety are psychiatric disorders related to chronic stress, commonly found in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) and functional dissociative seizures (FDS). The present study compares the levels of perceived stress, resilience, and the styles of stress coping among patients with DRE (n=60), FDS (n=28), and controls (n=31).

METHODS

We performed a cross-sectional study. All patients underwent Video Electroencephalography to confirm the diagnosis and completed the psychiatric assessment (SCID I and II of DSM IV) supported by several instruments validated in Spanish.

RESULTS

FDS scored higher in perceived stress (p = 0.004) with lower levels of resilience compared to controls (p = 0.01). Stress coping subscales show higher scores in negative self-focus and hostility in patients with FDS compared to controls (p=0.003). Similarly, DRE patients scored higher in perceived stress (p = 0.001), and presented lower levels of resilience (p = 0.004) with higher levels of hostility compared to controls (p=0.02). However, no significant differences were found between FDS and DRE on stress coping variables. Anxiety scores and depression rates were higher in the FDS group compared to DRE (p=0.008) and higher in DRE compared to controls (p<0.05). A positive correlation between depression and perceived stress was found (r = 0.6, p=0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results delineate a more detailed picture of the psychological profile of this population, emphasizing the importance of stress factors in patients with FDS and DRE. Combined intervention strategies which enhance stress coping may be appropriate to direct treatment and psychotherapy.

Prevalence of depression, risk factors, and quality of life in patients with epilepsy in a remote area of western Rajasthan

BACKGROUND

Depression is a common psychiatric disorder in patients with epilepsy. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and related risk factors for depression among people with epilepsy and their quality of life.

METHODS

Hospital-based cross-sectional study was carried out among 352 individuals with epilepsy from April 2020 to September 2020. Purposive sampling was used to recruit participants over a specified period. The Beck's Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) was used to measure depression severity, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) to assess stress level, the Oslo 3 Social Support Scale (OSSS-3) to assess social support, and the WHOQOL-BREF scale to estimate quality of life (QoL). The statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS version 20. Logistic regression analysis was done to determine the risk factors for depression.

RESULTS

A total of 352 study participants were considered in the study. The prevalence of depression was found to be 41.19%. In the final multivariate analysis, the independent variables that influenced depression were socioeconomic status (OR 2.75, CI 1.21-5.41), frequency of seizures in the previous year (OR 2.17, CI 1.08-5.26), duration of illness (OR 3.49, CI 1.03-7.52), and poor social support (OR 6.37, CI 1.85-9.48) at p-value < 0.05. When compared to patients without depression, the average mean score (SD) in all four domains was lower in physical 39.01 (4.61), psychological 43.93 (8.13), social 52.89 (10.44), and environmental domains 47.14 (6.99) in patients with depression in BREF quality-of-life scale. There was a statistically significant difference in the physical, psychological, and social domains (p-value < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

In people with epilepsy, depression was quite common. Patients that were depressed had a lower QoL. Clinicians should pay special attention to people with epilepsy who lack social support, have low socioeconomic status, longer duration of illness, and have more seizure frequency. Qualified clinicians should do early depression-focused screenings for people with epilepsy.

Prevalence of depression and associated factors among patients with epilepsy at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia, 2019

Introduction

Depression is a commonly overwhelming problem among patients with epilepsy which compromises their quality of life especially in developing countries. Previously limited studies were conducted using Becks Depression Inventory tool in Ethiopia. The aim of this study’s objective was to determine the prevalence of depression and associated factors among patients with epilepsy.

Methods

Institution based cross-sectional study was employed at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital from March 01–30, 2019.A total of 370 participants were selected using an interview administered structured questionnaire. Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale was used to assess the prevalence of depression.Multivariable logistic regression analysis was done to investigate potential predictors and variables with a P-value of < 0.05 and a 95% confidence interval were considered statistically significant.

Results

A total of 370 study participants participated with a response rate of 92%. From the total respondents 37% experienced depression. Perceived stigma (AOR = 3.89, CI: 2.27, 6.68), educational status (AOR = 0.48, CI: 0.25, 0.92), residence (AOR = 0.5, CI: 0.28, 0.89), frequency of seizure (AOR = 2.07, CI: 1.01, 4.23) and social support (AOR = 2.73, CI: 1.41–5.31) were significantly associated with depression status.

Conclusion

This study revealed that prevalence of depression among Epileptic patients was high. Perceived stigma, educational status, residence, frequency of seizure and social support were significantly associated with depression status. Thus, health care workers better to give more emphasis to patients with perceived stigma, higher number of seizure frequency and to those with poor level of social support.

Treatment Outcome of Epileptic Patients Receiving Antiepileptic Drugs in Ethiopia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

The prevalence and incidence rate of epilepsy were found to be higher in low- and middle-income countries. Uncontrolled epilepsy has a high risk of disability, stigma, discrimination, human rights violations, and premature death. The available studies of controlled seizure in Ethiopia have showed inconsistent results which calls for systematic review and meta-analysis. Therefore, this review intended to show the pooled prevalence of controlled seizure among people with epilepsy receiving antiepileptic drugs at outpatient department.

METHODS

A systematic literature search was conducted using PubMed/Medline, Science Direct, PsycINFO, Hinnarri databases, and Google Scholar for grey literatures. Data were extracted with structured format prepared using Microsoft Excel and exported to Stata/MP 16.0 software for analyses. The I 2 test was used to check the heterogeneity between primary studies with a corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI).

RESULTS

A total of 23 primary studies were included in the review showing the pooled prevalence of controlled seizure to be 46% (95% CI: 35, 56). A subgroup analysis of the primary studies showed a considerable variation in magnitude of seizure freedom by study regions, age groups, and seizure-free period. The highest prevalence was found in Addis Ababa 52% (95% CI: 29, 75), pediatric patients 77% (95% CI: 71, 83), and a seizure-free period of less than six months 58% (95% CI: 32, 83). On the other hand, the lowest prevalence of controlled seizure was found in Tigray 27% (95% CI: 11, 65), adult patients 43% (95% CI: 32, 54), and a seizure-free period of six or more 41% (95% CI: 32, 51). Higher frequency of seizure before treatment (2.23, 95% CI: 1.15, 3.31) and medication nonadherence (2.7, 95% CI: 1.25, 4.15) had statistically significant association with uncontrolled seizure.

CONCLUSION

In this review, the prevalence of controlled seizure was found to be low. This warrants that clinicians should give more focus to epileptic patients regarding monitoring and evaluation of treatment outcome of epilepsy and factors that affect seizure control in routine clinical services. The use of standardized definition of controlled seizure, designing strategies to identify pharmacoresistant epilepsy and its treatment, and increasing medication adherence are recommended in Ethiopia. The review protocol has been registered with PROSPERO registration number CRD42021215302.