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DOI: 10.1055/s-0035-1557267
Psychiatric morbidity in Nigerian adolescents with epilepsy
Subject Editor:
Publication History
11 January 2005
06 February 2005
Publication Date:
29 July 2015 (online)
Abstract
To investigate the rate and type of psychiatric diagnosis in a group of Nigerian adolescents with epilepsy. Adolescents with epilepsy (n = 166) aged 12 to 18 years and healthy controls (n = 170) and their adult caretakers were interviewed with the youth and parent versions of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children version IV (DISC IV). The rate of any psychiatric disorder in adolescents with epilepsy is 65.1%; any anxiety disorder is 33.1%; any depressive disorder is 30.1% and any disruptive disorder is 25.9%. Adolescents with epilepsy have significant higher risk for generalized anxiety disorder, separation anxiety disorders, major depressive disorders, dysthymia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and conduct disorder than healthy controls. Psychiatric morbidity is mainly associated with frequency of seizures (P < 0.001) and number of antiepilepsy drugs (P < 0.001). Nigerian adolescents with epilepsy have a higher rate of a wide variety of psychiatric disorders than their healthy counterparts. Interesting associations with conduct disorders have been found in our Nigerian sample. All these should be taken into account when planning management of these youth.