AIIMS study: Depression influences epilepsy care

A recent study by the AIIMS has revealed that a feeling of being stigmatised or having comorbid depression in a person with epilepsy significantly influences epilepsy care and treatment. The AIIMS study found that an expressed emotion from family, friends, or society is an important contributory factor to stigmatisation and depression among persons with epilepsy.

The study was conducted among epilepsy patients of both genders, aged 18 years and above, visiting OPD of the AIIMS neurology department. The patients were subdivided into two groups, one with comorbid depression and the second group without comorbid depression, followed by administration of levels of expressed emotions scale and stigma scale for epilepsy, respectively.

The study aimed to understand the influence of expressed emotions, as exhibited by close relatives, on the perception of stigma and depression experienced by the epilepsy patients.

The comparative analysis and multivariate regression analysis of the data collected shows that significant influence of expressed emotions on depression and stigma, with more than 20 per cent of the patients reporting comorbid depression, out of which more than 50 per cent also expressed feelings of inferiority or disgrace due to the ways in which family or society discriminated against them.

“The findings show greater associations of high expressed emotions as opposed to low expressed emotions from key individuals on patients’ perception of stigma or feeling of depression,” added the study. The study was co-authored by the neurology professor, Dr Manjari Tripathi, with the experts Mansi Verma, Amit Arora, Shrividya Malviya and Ashima Nehra.