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
. 2023 Feb 25;11(5):687.
doi: 10.3390/healthcare11050687.

Living with Epilepsy in Adolescence in Italy: Psychological and Behavioral Impact

Katherine Turner  1 , Francesca La Briola  1 , Aglaia Vignoli  1   2 , Elena Zambrelli  1 , Valentina Chiesa  1 , Laura Fongoni  1 , Olivia Baldi  1 , Maria Paola Canevini  1   2
Affiliations

Living with Epilepsy in Adolescence in Italy: Psychological and Behavioral Impact

Katherine Turner et al. Healthcare (Basel). .

Abstract

Background: People with epilepsy have a higher prevalence of behavioral and neuropsychiatric comorbidities compared to the general population and those with other chronic medical conditions, although the underlying clinical features remain unclear. The goal of the current study was to characterize behavioral profiles of adolescents with epilepsy, assess the presence of psychopathological disorders, and investigate the reciprocal interactions among epilepsy, psychological functioning, and their main clinical variables.

Methods: Sixty-three adolescents with epilepsy were consecutively recruited at the Epilepsy Center, Childhood and Adolescence Neuropsychiatry Unit of Santi Paolo e Carlo hospital in Milan (five of them were excluded) and assessed with a specific questionnaire for psychopathology in adolescence, such as the Questionnaire for the Assessment of Psychopathology in Adolescence (Q-PAD). Q-PAD results were then correlated with the main clinical data.

Results: 55.2% (32/58) of patients presented at least one emotional disturbance. Body dissatisfaction, anxiety, interpersonal conflicts, family problems, uncertainty about the future, and self-esteem/well-being disorders were frequently reported. Gender and poor control of seizures are associated with specific emotional features (p < 0.05).

Conclusions: These findings highlight the importance of screening for emotional distress, recognition of the impairments, and provision of adequate treatment and follow-up. A pathological score on the Q-PAD should always require the clinician to investigate the presence of behavioral disorders and comorbidities in adolescents with epilepsy.

Keywords: adolescence; behavioral disorders; epilepsy; psychiatric comorbidities.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Distribution of adolescents with epilepsy on the Q-PAD. Figure legend: distribution of Q-PAD scores (minimum score, first (left) quartile, median, third (right) quartile, and maximum score), ° outlier value. Abbreviations: Q-PAD: Questionnaire for the Assessment of Psychopathology in Adolescence.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Q-PAD scores for adolescents with uncontrolled seizures vs. controlled seizures. Figure legend: Q-PAD scores of adolescents with uncontrolled seizures compared to patients with controlled seizures (minimum score, first (lower) quartile, median, third (upper) quartile, and maximum score). * Significant scores. ° Outlier value. Abbreviations: Q-PAD: Questionnaire for the Assessment of Psychopathology in Adolescence.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Russ S.A., Larson K., Halfon N. A National Profile of Childhood Epilepsy and Seizure Disorder. Pediatrics. 2012;129:256–264. doi: 10.1542/peds.2010-1371. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Batchelor R., Taylor M.D. Young adults with epilepsy: Relationships between psychosocial variables and anxiety, depression, and suicidality. Epilepsy Behav. 2021;118:107911. doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2021.107911. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Kerr M.P., Mensah S., Besag F., de Toffol B., Ettinger A., Kanemoto K., Kanner A., Kemp S., Krishnamoorthy E., Jr W.C.L., et al. International consensus clinical practice statements for the treatment of neuropsychiatric conditions associated with epilepsy. Epilepsia. 2011;52:2133–2138. doi: 10.1111/j.1528-1167.2011.03276.x. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Reilly C., Agnew R., Neville B.G. Depression and anxiety in childhood epilepsy: A review. Seizure. 2011;20:589–597. doi: 10.1016/j.seizure.2011.06.004. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Chong L., Jamieson N.J., Gill D., Singh-Grewal D., Craig J.C., Ju A., Hanson C.S., Tong A. Children’s Experiences of Epilepsy: A Systematic Review of Qualitative Studies. Pediatrics. 2016;138:e20160658. doi: 10.1542/peds.2016-0658. - DOI - PubMed