Teens With Epilepsy Prone to Depression

But problems are underdiagnosed and undertreated, study says

By Serena Gordon
HealthDay Reporter

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THURSDAY, March 30 (HealthDay News) -- Teenagers who have epilepsy often face a double whammy because along with the seizure disorder, they're much more prone to depression and other psychiatric problems.

In fact, up to 60 percent of all teens with epilepsy will experience depression or another psychiatric illness, according to a new study in the March issue of the journal Neurology.

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What's worse, only about 33 percent of those teens will receive treatment, according to the study. That lack of treatment may put teens with epilepsy at a higher risk for suicide as well. The study reported that up to 30 percent of people with epilepsy had attempted suicide, compared to about 7 percent of people without the disorder.

"Kids with epilepsy are sort of hit twice," said Dr. Sigita Plioplys, a pediatric neuropsychiatrist in the department of child and adolescent psychiatry at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago. "There's an enormous stigma associated with epilepsy, and they may feel ashamed or burdened by having epilepsy. And mental disorders also have a profound stigma attached to them. Many kids will tend to minimize their depressive symptoms until they can't function any more."

Dr. Gary Trock, director of pediatric neurology at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich., said teens with epilepsy aren't the only ones who tend to minimize their symptoms.

"Parents are often hesitant to ask for a referral to a psychiatrist or psychologist because of the stigma associated with it," he said, adding that the problem can be compounded if the family's health insurance doesn't pay or severely limits payments for mental-illness care.

As many as 2.7 million Americans have epilepsy, according to the Epilepsy Foundation. It is a neurological disorder that causes seizures or brief blackouts. The disorder varies in severity, with some people experiencing occasional seizures, while others have frequent seizures. Most seizures can be controlled with medications, though the side effects -- sleepiness, slowed mental function -- can be hard for some people to tolerate.

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