Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2012:9:E60.
doi: 10.5888/pcd9.110140. Epub 2012 Feb 23.

Epilepsy care and mental health care for people with epilepsy: California Health Interview Survey, 2005

Alexander W Thompson  1 , Rosemarie Kobau, Royce Park, David Grant
Affiliations

Epilepsy care and mental health care for people with epilepsy: California Health Interview Survey, 2005

Alexander W Thompson et al. Prev Chronic Dis. 2012.

Abstract

Introduction: Epilepsy, which requires complex care, can be further complicated by comorbid mental illness. Evidence indicates deficiencies exist in the care received for both epilepsy-related care and for mental health care in people with epilepsy. Evidence indicates there are deficiencies in both these areas for people with epilepsy. Our objective was to evaluate treatment gaps in epilepsy and mental health care among California adults with epilepsy and to compare the mental health services and treatment received by people with epilepsy to that of the general population.

Methods: We conducted multivariate analyses of data from the 2005 California Health Interview Survey (N = 43,020), which included data from 604 adult participants who said they had been told they had epilepsy, to examine comparisons of interest.

Results: Twenty-seven percent of California adults with epilepsy who had had at least 1 seizure in the past 3 months had not seen a neurologist or epilepsy specialist in the past year. Of respondents with psychological distress and epilepsy, 84% perceived a need for mental health care in the past year, but only 57% had seen a mental health provider during that time. Of respondents without epilepsy but with psychological distress, 77% perceived a need for mental health care in the past year, but only 32% had seen a mental health provider during that time.

Conclusion: California adults with epilepsy appear to have substantial unmet needs in both epilepsy care and mental health care. Adults with epilepsy and psychological distress appeared to have received more mental health treatment than psychologically distressed adults without epilepsy. Efforts should be made to improve access to quality epilepsy care that includes assessment and treatment of mental health disorders.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Hirtz D, Thurman DJ, Gwinn-Hardy K, Mohamed M, Chaudhuri AR, Zalutsky R. How common are the "common" neurologic disorders? Neurology. 2007;68(5):326–337. - PubMed
    1. Tomson T, Walczak T, Sillanpaa M, Sander JW. Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy: a review of incidence and risk factors. Epilepsia. 2005;46(Suppl 11):54–61. - PubMed
    1. Rafnsson V, Olafsson E, Hauser WA, Gudmundsson G. Cause-specific mortality in adults with unprovoked seizures. A population-based incidence cohort study. Neuroepidemiology. 2001;20(4):232–236. - PubMed
    1. Wiegartz P, Seidenberg M, Woodard A, Gidal B, Hermann B. Co-morbid psychiatric disorder in chronic epilepsy: recognition and etiology of depression. Neurology 1999;53(5 Suppl 2):S3–S8. - PubMed
    1. Boylan LS, Flint LA, Labovitz DL, Jackson SC, Starner K, Devinsky O. Depression but not seizure frequency predicts quality of life in treatment-resistant epilepsy. Neurology. 2004;62(2):258–261. - PubMed

Publication types