Psychiatric disorders and suicidal behavior in neurotypical young adults with childhood‐onset epilepsy. (20th September 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Baldin, Elisa; Hesdorffer, Dale C.; Caplan, Rochelle; Berg, Anne T.
• Is Part Of: Epilepsia. Volume 56:issue 10(2015:Oct.)
• Page Start: 1623
• Page End: 1628
• Publication Date: 2015-09-20
• Subjects: Epilepsy -- Periodicals; 616.853
• DOI: 10.1111/epi.13123
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0013-9580

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="epi13123-abs-0001"> <title>Summary</title> <sec id="epi13123-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Objectives</title> <p>We examined the associations of lifetime and current histories of psychiatric disorders and of suicidal thoughts and behaviors with childhood‐onset epilepsies in a community‐based cohort of young adults.</p> </sec> <sec id="epi13123-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Methods</title> <p>Cases were neurotypical (normal neurologic, cognitive, and imaging examinations and no evidence of a brain insult responsible for the epilepsy) young adults with childhood‐onset epilepsy followed since the onset of their epilepsy approximately 15 years earlier and recruited as part of a community‐based study. They were compared to two different control groups: siblings and external controls from the National Comorbidity Survey‐Replication (NCS‐R). The Diagnostic Interview Survey assessed lifetime and current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM‐IV‐TR) diagnoses of mood disorders and anxiety disorders. Suicidal thoughts and suicide attempt were assessed using the Diagnostic Interview Survey for Children‐IV and the Diagnostic Interview Survey (DIS‐IV).</p> </sec> <sec id="epi13123-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>Two hundred fifty‐seven cases and 134 sibling controls participated in the DIS‐IV portion of the young adult assessment. Comparing cases both to their sibling controls and to the controls drawn from the NCS‐R, we did not find any evidence to suggest a higher prevalence of lifetime and current mood or anxiety disorders, suicidal thoughts, and suicide attempt in young adults with childhood‐onset epilepsies.</p> </sec> <sec id="epi13123-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Significance</title> <p>Our findings from a community‐based sample of neurotypical young adults do not suggest a substantial or lasting association between childhood epilepsy and psychiatric disorders and suicidal behavior.</p> </sec> </abstract>