Depression as comorbidity in Sundanese epilepsy patients

Background: Depressive disorder is a common psychiatric comorbidity in patients with epilepsy (PWE). This health condition is prevalent among the Sundanese who have a calm and polite character, with a tendency to hide their feelings, which is associated with an increased risk of depression. Methods: This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the prevalence of major depressive disorder (MDD) and the associated factors among Sundanese PWE. The study was carried out in the neurology outpatient clinic at Hasan Sadikin General Hospital Bandung, consisting of the Sunda ethnic group as the majority of patients. Self-stigma degree was measured using the Indonesian version of Internalized Stigma of Epilepsy (ISEP) questionnaire, while depression symptom was screened through the Indonesian version of Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy (NDDI-E). Subsequently, patients who had depression symptoms were referred to a psychiatrist to confirm whether their conditions matched the criteria of MDD according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder-5. Results: The prevalence of depressive symptoms in Sundanese epilepsy patients was found to be 18.4%, and MDD was 6.8% among 103 patients included in this study. Many PWE with MDD were not married, had uncontrolled seizures, used polytherapy anti-seizure medication, and exhibited a higher degree of self-stigma. Conclusion: In this study, the prevalence of MDD was found to be 6.8% among a cohort of Sundanese PWE. A significant relationship was also observed between MDD and several factors, including single status, uncontrolled seizure, polytherapy, and a higher degree of self-stigma.