Bridging the divide between epilepsy and mental health to drive solutions

Abstract

Since its establishment in 2000, Epilepsy & Behavior has published more than 1000 papers on mental health issues among people with epilepsy, including about 200 reviews. These studies on prevalence, treatment, and guidance for future research are important contributions to the field, and they offer great promise. Yet these papers and the multitude published in other journals over the years have failed to result in systematic, scaled changes in how the epilepsy field in the United States addresses mental health issues. The mental health assessment and management gap is especially notable given decades-old, as well as more recent, recommendations from national initiatives on epilepsy, consensus statements, and other expert appeals to reduce psychiatric burden. Selected or comprehensive elements of emerging models and latest approaches from behavioral health (e.g., peer support) and public health (e.g., community-clinical linkages) highlight current opportunities to engage multiple community partners and sectors to bridge the epilepsy and behavioral health fields to implement solutions for improved mental healthcare for people with epilepsy. In honor of the 20th anniversary of Epilepsy & Behavior and its contribution to the literature and the field, we seek to build public health roadmaps to bridge the epilepsy and behavioral health divide-with new epilepsy partners who can expand community-based partnerships that may help facilitate systematic changes to close mental health treatment gaps. Special Issue: Epilepsy & Behavior's 20th Anniversary.

Keywords: Depression; Intervention; Mental health; Psychiatric comorbidity; Self-management.

Fig. 1.

Community-clinical linkage logic model for epilepsy. *Memorandum of understanding. Modified from: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Community-Clinical Linkages for the Prevention and Control of Chronic Diseases: A Practitioner’s Guide. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2016. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/pubs/docs/ccl-practitioners-guide.pdf.