Prevalence of self-reported epilepsy or seizure disorder and its associations with self-reported depression and anxiety: Results from the 2004 Healthstyles Survey

Purpose: To examine the prevalence of self-reported epilepsy or seizure disorder and its association with self-reported recent depression and anxiety in a large sample of the U.S. adult population. Methods: We analyzed data from adults aged 18 years or older (n = 4,345) who participated in the 2004 HealthStyles Survey, a large mail panel survey designed to be representative of the U.S. population. Results: Among U.S. adults aged 18 years or older, we estimated that 2.9% have been told by a doctor that they had epilepsy or seizure disorder, and an estimated 1.6% and 0.9% had active and inactive epilepsy, respectively. After controlling for demographic characteristics, we estimated that adults with self-reported epilepsy were twice as likely to self-report depression or anxiety in the previous year as were adults without epilepsy, and adults with active epilepsy were 3 times as likely to self-report depression and twice as likely to have anxiety in the previous year as were adults without epilepsy. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the burden of self-reported depression and anxiety among adults with self-reported epilepsy or seizure disorder, and suggest that healthcare providers should attempt to determine whether adult patients with epilepsy have any psychiatric comorbidity potentially to improve health outcomes. Questions about epilepsy and related factors should be routinely included on population-based surveys so that we can better understand the epilepsy distribution in the U.S. population and identify the unmet health and psychosocial needs of people with epilepsy.