Original scientific paper
Prevalence of Mood Dysfunction in Epilepsy Patients in Croatia
Hrvoje Hećimović
Jelena Bošnjak
Vida Demarin
Abstract
Fifty consecutive and consenting epilepsy patients from the Zagreb Epilepsy Center were examined for the presence of
depressive symptoms using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). This questionnaire has been previously validated for
use in the Croatian population. Mean age of the patients was 30.8±13.5 years, 60.4% were females. Majority of them were
employed (72.9%) and single (62.5%), and 35.4% had a university degree. Most of them had complex partial seizures
(n=40, 80%), and 6 (12%) were diagnosed with idiopathic generalized epilepsy. Assessment with the BDI showed that
33.3% of patients had recent depressive symptoms: 6.3% had mild depressive symptoms, 8.4% moderate and 18.6% severe
depressive symptoms. Three patients (6.4%) attempted suicide in the past, two of them had current suicidal ideation, and
all of them were severely depressed. This is the first and preliminary study assessing mood dysfunction in epilepsy patients
in Croatia. Increased prevalence of depression in epilepsy patients suggests specific approach and need for early
treatment.
Keywords
epilepsy; mood, depression; suicide; Beck Depression Inventory; Zagreb Epilepsy Center; Croatia
Hrčak ID:
24555
URI
Publication date:
13.5.2008.
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