The condition of patients can significantly affect their quality of life in many ways. Health professionals should be aware of how these conditions can affect the mental health of patients. Epilepsy can cause psychiatric comorbidities, in part because of the nature and effects of recurrent seizures. Major depression, generalized anxiety disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder have been identified as common comorbidities of epilepsy.1
Healthcare professionals may need education about how epilepsy affects a person’s daily life, how the effects of a seizure can persist, and how the resulting stress and depression can affect the patient’s overall health.
- Neuroinflammation
A 2021 study in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences examined the effects of stress on patients with epilepsy by focusing on neuroinflammation.2 Neuroinflammatory responses to seizures can potentially worsen an epileptic state, and the researchers hypothesized that Neuroinflammation is caused by both acute and chronic stress can make patients even more prone to seizures.
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Healthcare professionals can attribute much of the stress patients with epilepsy to the disease itself: the stigma of the disease, the fear of the unpredictable nature of seizures, and the lifestyle changes patients will have to make. Working with patients to understand their stress levels and find a coping mechanism with or without pharmacological agents can be important in patient management.
- Seizure frequency
The researchers find that chronic stress in patients with epilepsy is often directly related to an increase in the frequency of seizures. An increased frequency may be common in epilepsy if a patient has psychiatric comorbidities; Anxiety and depression often predict an increase in seizures, and the inflammatory response to acute stress can potentially persist for weeks after the stressor. Stress reduction mechanisms and psychiatric treatments should be included in damage management to reduce the frequency of seizures in patients.
- disability
Patients with epilepsy who are also depressed are at greater risk of decreased quality of life, which can manifest itself in a number of ways. For example, these patients have a higher disability rate than those without depression. The way depression is triggered or worsened can also manifest itself in different ways. The researchers claim that men may be more likely to be influenced by social factors, while women may be more likely to be influenced by epilepsy itself.
- Decrease in sleep and activity
Stress and depression can lead to lifestyle changes in patients, including difficulty sleeping and decreased physical activity. A study in Seizures in February 2021 looked at how young people with epilepsy feel that the COVID-19 pandemic is having an impact on their care and mental health.³ Most of the young people surveyed in the study said fewer sleep and be less physically active. Nurses also reported an increase in their own stress and anxiety. Sleep deprivation can lead to even more stress and depression. Therefore, determining how patients sleep in order to manage their condition can be important.
- Treatment-related anxiety
As mentioned earlier, much of the stress and anxiety in patients with epilepsy comes from the epilepsy itself and its treatment. Finding ways to deal with both epilepsy and depression can be stressful. Some depression medications can even increase the risk of seizures. Fear of inconsistent or ineffective treatment can cause much of the stress a patient experiences.
References
1. Lu E, Pyatka N, Burant CJ, Sajatovic M. Systematic literature review of psychiatric comorbidities in adults with epilepsy. J Clin Neurol. 2021; 17 (2): 176-1. 186. doi: 10.3988 / jcn.2021.17.2.176
2. Espinosa-Garcia C., Zeleke H., Rojas A. Influence of stress on epilepsy: focus on neuroinflammation – a brief overview. Int J Mol Sci. 2021; 22 (8): 4061. doi: 10.3390 / ijms22084061
3. Reilly C, Muggeridge A, Cross JH. The Perceived Impact of COVID-19 and Associated Restrictions on Young People with Epilepsy in the UK: Survey of Adolescents and Caregivers. Seizure. 2021; 85: 111-1 114. doi: 10.1016 / j.seizure.2020.12.024
