Anxiety and depression in people with epilepsy during and one year after the COVID‐19 pandemic
Abstract Objective Compare the prevalence and severity of anxiety and depression among people with epilepsy (PWE) evaluated by telemedicine during the initial stages of the COVID‐19 pandemic and follow up on their status 15 months later. Methods We conducted a prospective, observational, and analyti...
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Wiley
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Epilepsia Open |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/epi4.13097 |
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| author | Iris E. Martínez‐Juárez Jimena Gonzalez‐Salido Jimena Colado‐Martinez Irving Fuentes‐Calvo Santiago Philibert‐Rosas E. Rodrigo Velásquez‐Coria Salvador Martínez‐Medina Mijail A. Rivas‐Cruz Eithel Valenzuela‐Mendivil Karen E. Guzmán‐Sánchez Elizabeth M. Ruiz‐Peñaflor Arnold R. Thomson‐Cerna Emilia M. González‐Villagómez Jimena Armenta‐Báez Andrea Santos‐Peyret Aurelio Jara‐Prado Adriana Ochoa‐Morales Daniel Crail‐Meléndez Ángel Ruiz‐Chow Mario A. Sebastián‐Díaz |
| author_facet | Iris E. Martínez‐Juárez Jimena Gonzalez‐Salido Jimena Colado‐Martinez Irving Fuentes‐Calvo Santiago Philibert‐Rosas E. Rodrigo Velásquez‐Coria Salvador Martínez‐Medina Mijail A. Rivas‐Cruz Eithel Valenzuela‐Mendivil Karen E. Guzmán‐Sánchez Elizabeth M. Ruiz‐Peñaflor Arnold R. Thomson‐Cerna Emilia M. González‐Villagómez Jimena Armenta‐Báez Andrea Santos‐Peyret Aurelio Jara‐Prado Adriana Ochoa‐Morales Daniel Crail‐Meléndez Ángel Ruiz‐Chow Mario A. Sebastián‐Díaz |
| author_sort | Iris E. Martínez‐Juárez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Objective Compare the prevalence and severity of anxiety and depression among people with epilepsy (PWE) evaluated by telemedicine during the initial stages of the COVID‐19 pandemic and follow up on their status 15 months later. Methods We conducted a prospective, observational, and analytical study at the Epilepsy Clinic of the National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery (NINN) in Mexico City during the COVID‐19 pandemic. HADS‐A and HADS‐D instruments were administered to adult patients diagnosed with epilepsy, initially through telemedicine and later through in‐person visits or phone calls after one year. Results A sample of 115 patients was obtained, with 62.5% being women. The mean age of the patients was 33.6 years (± 12), and the mean age of epilepsy onset was 16.82 years (± 13.82). The majority of patients had focal epilepsy (78.3%), and only 42% reported being seizure‐free. The results from the HADS‐A scale showed that 48.69% of the patients had anxiety. On the HADS‐D scale, 29.56% of the patients were found to have depression. At follow‐up, the HADS‐A results indicated that 50.64% of the patients had anxiety, and the HADS‐D results showed that 36.36% had depression. An analysis of associations between sociodemographic or clinical variables and the presence of anxiety and/or depression in PWE revealed no statistically significant results, except for the clinical variable of patients taking anxiolytic or antidepressant medications during the assessment. These patients had lower HADS‐A and HADS‐D scores, with a statistically significant p‐value of 0.0001. Significance Comparing these findings with a previously published paper by our group showed a significant increase in both depression and anxiety, which were already prevalent in the earlier study. In conclusion, PWE exhibited high levels of anxiety and depression during and one year after the pandemic, despite receiving appropriate treatment. These symptoms, present before the pandemic, have been further exacerbated and continue to persist. Plain Language Summary This study examined anxiety and depression in patients with epilepsy (PWE) during the COVID‐19 pandemic at the National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery in Mexico. Using the HADS‐A and HADS‐D scales, 115 patients were assessed over a year. Results showed that 48.69% had anxiety and 29.56% had depression, with both increasing to 50.64% and 36.36%, respectively, after one year. The only significant finding was that patients on anxiolytic or antidepressant medication had lower scores for anxiety and depression. The study concludes that anxiety and depression in PWE worsened during the pandemic and persisted despite treatment. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-fb204e1a1bd94dd38f9910aff1b54923 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2470-9239 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Epilepsia Open |
| spelling | doaj-art-fb204e1a1bd94dd38f9910aff1b549232025-02-07T09:12:45ZengWileyEpilepsia Open2470-92392025-02-0110118619510.1002/epi4.13097Anxiety and depression in people with epilepsy during and one year after the COVID‐19 pandemicIris E. Martínez‐Juárez0Jimena Gonzalez‐Salido1Jimena Colado‐Martinez2Irving Fuentes‐Calvo3Santiago Philibert‐Rosas4E. Rodrigo Velásquez‐Coria5Salvador Martínez‐Medina6Mijail A. Rivas‐Cruz7Eithel Valenzuela‐Mendivil8Karen E. Guzmán‐Sánchez9Elizabeth M. Ruiz‐Peñaflor10Arnold R. Thomson‐Cerna11Emilia M. González‐Villagómez12Jimena Armenta‐Báez13Andrea Santos‐Peyret14Aurelio Jara‐Prado15Adriana Ochoa‐Morales16Daniel Crail‐Meléndez17Ángel Ruiz‐Chow18Mario A. Sebastián‐Díaz19Epilepsy Clinic & Clinical Epileptology Fellowship, National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery “Manuel Velasco Suarez” & Faculty of Medicine, UNAM Mexico MexicoEpilepsy Clinic & Clinical Epileptology Fellowship, National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery “Manuel Velasco Suarez” & Faculty of Medicine, UNAM Mexico MexicoEpilepsy Clinic & Clinical Epileptology Fellowship, National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery “Manuel Velasco Suarez” & Faculty of Medicine, UNAM Mexico MexicoEpilepsy Clinic & Clinical Epileptology Fellowship, National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery “Manuel Velasco Suarez” & Faculty of Medicine, UNAM Mexico MexicoEpilepsy Clinic & Clinical Epileptology Fellowship, National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery “Manuel Velasco Suarez” & Faculty of Medicine, UNAM Mexico MexicoNeurosurgery Residency South Central High Specialty Hospital PEMEX & Faculty of Medicine, UNAM MexicoNeurology Residency National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery & Faculty of Medicine, UNAM MexicoEpilepsy Clinic & Clinical Epileptology Fellowship, National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery “Manuel Velasco Suarez” & Faculty of Medicine, UNAM Mexico MexicoEpilepsy Clinic & Clinical Epileptology Fellowship, National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery “Manuel Velasco Suarez” & Faculty of Medicine, UNAM Mexico MexicoHospital Angeles Culiacan Sinaloa MexicoEpilepsy Clinic & Clinical Epileptology Fellowship, National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery “Manuel Velasco Suarez” & Faculty of Medicine, UNAM Mexico MexicoNeurology Service Hospital Dr. Mario Catarino Rivas San Pedro Sula HondurasEpilepsy Clinic & Clinical Epileptology Fellowship, National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery “Manuel Velasco Suarez” & Faculty of Medicine, UNAM Mexico MexicoEpilepsy Clinic & Clinical Epileptology Fellowship, National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery “Manuel Velasco Suarez” & Faculty of Medicine, UNAM Mexico MexicoInternal Medicine Residency Program Hospital General Dr. Darío Fernández Fierro, ISSSTE & Faculty of Medicine, UNAM MexicoNeurogenetics Department National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery MexicoNeurogenetics Department National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery MexicoNeuropsychiatric Department National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery MexicoNeuropsychiatric Department National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery MexicoNephrology Department & Nephrology Residency Program South Central High Specialty Hospital PEMEX & Faculty of Medicine, UNAM MexicoAbstract Objective Compare the prevalence and severity of anxiety and depression among people with epilepsy (PWE) evaluated by telemedicine during the initial stages of the COVID‐19 pandemic and follow up on their status 15 months later. Methods We conducted a prospective, observational, and analytical study at the Epilepsy Clinic of the National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery (NINN) in Mexico City during the COVID‐19 pandemic. HADS‐A and HADS‐D instruments were administered to adult patients diagnosed with epilepsy, initially through telemedicine and later through in‐person visits or phone calls after one year. Results A sample of 115 patients was obtained, with 62.5% being women. The mean age of the patients was 33.6 years (± 12), and the mean age of epilepsy onset was 16.82 years (± 13.82). The majority of patients had focal epilepsy (78.3%), and only 42% reported being seizure‐free. The results from the HADS‐A scale showed that 48.69% of the patients had anxiety. On the HADS‐D scale, 29.56% of the patients were found to have depression. At follow‐up, the HADS‐A results indicated that 50.64% of the patients had anxiety, and the HADS‐D results showed that 36.36% had depression. An analysis of associations between sociodemographic or clinical variables and the presence of anxiety and/or depression in PWE revealed no statistically significant results, except for the clinical variable of patients taking anxiolytic or antidepressant medications during the assessment. These patients had lower HADS‐A and HADS‐D scores, with a statistically significant p‐value of 0.0001. Significance Comparing these findings with a previously published paper by our group showed a significant increase in both depression and anxiety, which were already prevalent in the earlier study. In conclusion, PWE exhibited high levels of anxiety and depression during and one year after the pandemic, despite receiving appropriate treatment. These symptoms, present before the pandemic, have been further exacerbated and continue to persist. Plain Language Summary This study examined anxiety and depression in patients with epilepsy (PWE) during the COVID‐19 pandemic at the National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery in Mexico. Using the HADS‐A and HADS‐D scales, 115 patients were assessed over a year. Results showed that 48.69% had anxiety and 29.56% had depression, with both increasing to 50.64% and 36.36%, respectively, after one year. The only significant finding was that patients on anxiolytic or antidepressant medication had lower scores for anxiety and depression. The study concludes that anxiety and depression in PWE worsened during the pandemic and persisted despite treatment.https://doi.org/10.1002/epi4.13097anxietyCOVID‐19depressionepilepsy |
| spellingShingle | Iris E. Martínez‐Juárez Jimena Gonzalez‐Salido Jimena Colado‐Martinez Irving Fuentes‐Calvo Santiago Philibert‐Rosas E. Rodrigo Velásquez‐Coria Salvador Martínez‐Medina Mijail A. Rivas‐Cruz Eithel Valenzuela‐Mendivil Karen E. Guzmán‐Sánchez Elizabeth M. Ruiz‐Peñaflor Arnold R. Thomson‐Cerna Emilia M. González‐Villagómez Jimena Armenta‐Báez Andrea Santos‐Peyret Aurelio Jara‐Prado Adriana Ochoa‐Morales Daniel Crail‐Meléndez Ángel Ruiz‐Chow Mario A. Sebastián‐Díaz Anxiety and depression in people with epilepsy during and one year after the COVID‐19 pandemic Epilepsia Open anxiety COVID‐19 depression epilepsy |
| title | Anxiety and depression in people with epilepsy during and one year after the COVID‐19 pandemic |
| title_full | Anxiety and depression in people with epilepsy during and one year after the COVID‐19 pandemic |
| title_fullStr | Anxiety and depression in people with epilepsy during and one year after the COVID‐19 pandemic |
| title_full_unstemmed | Anxiety and depression in people with epilepsy during and one year after the COVID‐19 pandemic |
| title_short | Anxiety and depression in people with epilepsy during and one year after the COVID‐19 pandemic |
| title_sort | anxiety and depression in people with epilepsy during and one year after the covid 19 pandemic |
| topic | anxiety COVID‐19 depression epilepsy |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/epi4.13097 |
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