Anxiety and Depression Prevalence in Children and Adolescents With Epilepsy 

According to research presented virtually at American Epilepsy Society AES2020, children and adolescents with epilepsy are more likely to have anxiety and depression, including suicidal thinking, then previously considered. 

In a study of 119 children age 9 to 18 years, none of whom were diagnosed previously with anxiety or depressive disorders, 36 (30.2%) had anxiety when assessed with the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) tool, a 41-item child and parent self-report instrument. Using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children (CES-DC), a 20-item self-report tool, 39.5% had depression. Using the Ask Suicide-Screening (ASQ), a 4-question scale, 10.9% were found to have suicidal thoughts.

This is in contrast to the general youth population of whom 7% have anxiety and 3% have depression, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

“Compared to other studies, the percentage of children, adolescents, and teens that screened positive for these mental health issues was quite a bit higher than expected,” said Anjali Dagar, MD, clinical research fellow, Cleveland Clinic. “Although this is a screening—meaning the diagnosis must be confirmed by a psychiatrist—our findings suggest it is important to screen all youths with epilepsy for underlying psychiatric issues even when there are no signs of concern.”