Quality of life, depression, daytime sleepiness and fatigue in Omani people with epilepsy: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Epilepsy is a prevalent neurological disorder that can adversely affect multiple life domains, including mental health, sleep quality, and overall well-being. In Oman, where modern healthcare services have expanded substantially, limited data exist on how these factors influence the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of adults with epilepsy. Accordingly, this study aimed to evaluate HRQoL and its relationships with depression, daytime sleepiness, and fatigue in Omani adults with epilepsy.

Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 238 Omani adults with epilepsy at two tertiary hospitals in Muscat. HRQoL was assessed using the Quality of Life in Epilepsy-31 (QOLIE-31), while depression, daytime sleepiness, and fatigue were measured via the Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy (NDDI-E), the Epworth Daytime Sleepiness Scale (EDSS), and the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), respectively. Independent t-tests and one-way ANOVAs examined differences in QOLIE-31 scores, and Pearson correlations assessed relationships among the four scales. Continuous variables are reported as mean ± standard deviation (SD) and categorical variables as frequencies and percentages. Statistical analyses were two-tailed; results with p < .05 were considered significant.

Results: Participants had a mean age of 32.74 years (SD = 11.77), and 55.5% were male. About 52.5% experienced generalized-onset tonic-clonic seizures, while 47.5% reported focal-onset seizures. Idiopathic epilepsy was common (50.8%), and half of the participants (50.4%) were on monotherapy. Regarding QOLIE-31 categories, 10.5% of participants had low HRQoL, 71.4% had moderate HRQoL, and 18.1% had high HRQoL. On the NDDIE, 34.9% screened positive for depression. Excessive daytime sleepiness (ESS ≥ 11) was observed in 11.3% of participants, and 54.6% reported clinically significant fatigue (FSS ≥ 36). Higher QOLIE-31 scores were associated with living in Muscat (p < .01), having a higher income (p < .01), being employed (p < .01), having idiopathic epilepsy (p < .05), and receiving monotherapy (p < .001). Depression, daytime sleepiness, and fatigue each showed a significant negative correlation with QOLIE-31 (p < .01).

Conclusions: This study highlights the multidimensional impact of epilepsy on Omani adults, demonstrating that clinical and socioeconomic factors-along with depression, sleepiness, and fatigue-significantly shape HRQoL. Targeted interventions aimed at seizure control, mental‑health support, and social empowerment are critical for optimizing well‑being in this population.