The use of Beck Depression Inventory for assessment of depressive symptoms in epilepsy: a single-center experience in Kosovo

Depressive disorders are common comorbidities in people living with epilepsy, and they can have a profound effect on both the course of epilepsy and the overall quality of life of those affected. A total of 125 patients diagnosed with epilepsy were recruited from the outpatient care in the Neurology Clinic at the University Clinical Centre of Kosovo, over a 3-month period (October 2023 to December 2023). The Beck Depression Inventory was used to measure the severity of depressive symptoms in these participants. In this study, we observed that 75% of women and 61.4% of men reported mild, moderate, or severe depressive symptoms. According to the severity of depressive symptoms, participants with generalized epilepsy were more likely to report severe depressive symptoms. They represented 59.0% of the participants reporting mild depressive symptoms, 61.5% of the participants reporting moderate depressive symptoms, and 47.6% of the participants reporting severe depression. Assessing and addressing depressive symptoms in individuals with epilepsy through a multidimensional approach and standardized methods is a critical aspect of providing quality care for all patients.