Posttraumatic stress disorder and major depressive disorder is common in parents of children with epilepsy

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of the study was to determine the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), and major depressive disorder (MDD) in parents of children with epilepsy.

Methods: Parents (77 mothers and 3 fathers) of children with epilepsy were administered the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID), PTSD and MDD modules, and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ).

Results: The prevalence of both PTSD and MDD was 31.5%. Fifty-six percent (n = 14) of the participants with PTSD had a diagnosis of MDD. PTSD symptom clusters were very prevalent in the parents of children with epilepsy. Reexperiencing and arousal symptom clusters were more frequent (88.8 and 80% respectively) than the avoidance and numbing symptom cluster (32.5%).

Conclusion: These findings suggest that a significant proportion of parents of children with epilepsy experience PTSD and MDD. Increased awareness of the clinical presentations of these disorders may help clinicians to develop preventive and intervention strategies for parents of children with epilepsy.