Depression and associated factors among people with epilepsy at Wolaita Sodo University Hospital, South Ethiopia.

Background: Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders in the world and contributes to various psychiatric illnesses. Depression is one of the most frequent comorbid psychiatric disorders that affect the quality of life in people with epilepsy. Despite this impact, depression continues to be under-recognized and undertreated. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the magnitude of depression and its associated factors among people with epilepsy at Wolaita Sodo University Hospital, South Ethiopia, 2021.

Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted from April 2021 to May 2021. A systematic random sampling technique was used to select 423 samples of people with epilepsy, and interviewer-administered structured questionnaires were employed. The Patient Health Questionnaire with 9 items was used to assess depression. A logistic regression model was used to determine the association between the outcome and independent variables. A 95% CI and odds ratio with a corresponding p-value < 0.05 were used to determine the strength of association.

Result: The overall magnitude of depression among people with epilepsy in this study was 49.2%. Educational status; unable to read and write (AOR = 3.43, 95% CI 1.09, 10.7), being female (AOR = 2.54, 95% CI 1.43, 4.52), perceived stigma (AOR = 5.96, 95% CI 2.88, 12.3), poor social support (AOR = 2.88, 95% CI 1.28, 6.48), poor medication adherence (AOR = 4.60, 95% CI 2.46, 8.63), and seizure frequency above 5 times per month (AOR = 5.59, 95% CI 1.72, 18.1) were independent predictors of depression among people with epilepsy at p-value < 0.05.

Conclusion and recommendation: In this study nearly half of the people with epilepsy had depression. Educational status; inability to read and write, being female, perceived stigma, poor social support, poor medication adherence, and seizure frequency of above 5 times per month were independent predictors of depression among people with epilepsy. Therefore, screening depression in people with epilepsy and appropriate management critically needed attention to reduce the effects of the problems.