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ABSTRACT
Background: Anxiety symptoms may have significant implications on the quality of life of patients with epilepsy. The aim of our research is a comparative analysis of the quality of life, i.e., of the level of disability in patients with different forms of epilepsy.
Method: In this cross-sectional study, the sample consisted of three groups of 30 patients each - with recently diagnosed generalized epilepsy, temporal and extratempora l epilepsy. The anxiety level in these groups was compared with the control group of 30 healthy subjects. Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) was used for assessment of anxiety. Level of functional disability due to anxiety was measured according to the Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS).
Results: Patients with extratemporal epilepsy had the greatest level of functional disability, while patients with generalized epilepsies hadthe lowest average of scores on the Sheehan scale. The correlation between the BAI and the SDS was highly statistically significant.
Conclusions: Our results clearly indicate the need for a broader concept of therapy-neurological (antiepileptic therapy) and psychiatric (pharmaco-, psychoand social therapy) when it comes to anxiety in patients with epilepsy.
INTRODUCTION
Anxiety symptoms, especially if they are noticeable, may have significant implications on the quality of life of patients with epilepsy, primarily because of the tendency of patients with anxiety disorders to overestimate the risks associated with situations which trigger their anxiety, but underestimate their own ability to cope with anxiety (1,2). The consequence maybe a disabling combination of anticipatory anxiety, related to seizures in unfamiliar situations, causing evasive behavior and isolation. About 20-30% of patients exhibit a specific fear of attack, i.e., phobia of epileptic seizures, while the percentage of patients who are afraid to leave their home and have anticipatory anxiety is even higher (3). A more recent study looking for psychopathology in inpatients with all types of epilepsy obtained: the 1-year prevalence of anxiety disorders was 25%, and that of mood disorders, 19% (4). However, in some secondary care and specialist settings, the prevalence of anxiety disorder may exceed 50% (5). In one large study based on diagnoses in primary care records, the rate of anxiety disorders was 11% in 5,834 people who had epilepsy, compared with 5.6% in 831,163 without epilepsy (6). Excessive anxiety undermines the purpose-serving effectiveness and...