Gyrus, Vol. 11 No. 1-2, 2025.
Review article
Brief overview of mental health and benefits of third wave cognitive-behavioral therapies in adults with epilepsy
Iva Ignjačić
orcid.org/0009-0008-5554-1230
; Faculty of Croatian Studies, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
*
* Corresponding author.
Abstract
Epilepsy is a complex neurological disease affecting individuals’ everyday life. The prevalence of epilepsy is around 5 cases per 1000 inhabitants in Croatia, which corresponds to the worldwide prevalence. Most common comorbidities in epilepsy are anxiety, depression and psychosis. Anxiety is differentiated between peri-ictal, ictal and postictal anxiety. Looking through the diathesis-stress model, depression is generally caused by certain triggers, personal and everyday stressors, which are more numerous in people with epilepsy than in the general population, thus they are 3.7 to 6 times more likely to suffer from depression. They are also eight times more likely to suffer from psychosis. Depending on the moment it emerges, and other factors, individuals can experience various symptoms, from depersonalization to hallucinations. Third-wave cognitive-behavior therapies have shown to be effective in helping to deal with mental health problems in people with epilepsy. Some of the effective interventions are mindfulness, disengaging from negative thoughts, and working on acceptance.
Keywords
anxiety; depression; epilepsy; mental health; psychosis; stressors; therapy
Hrčak ID:
343395
URI
Publication date:
28.12.2025.
Visits: 396 *