Depression Among School Aged Epileptic Children And Their Siblings

Epilepsy is the most common neurological disorder in children. Researches on children and adolescents with epilepsy have revealed a high incidence of psychological and behavioral difficulties. For a longtime, patients and physicians tended to focus solely on the control of epileptic seizures, while disregarding the presence of co-morbid psychiatric symptoms and disorders. Recognition of their negative impact in the life of patients with epilepsy in recent years has highlighted the need for the early identification and management of psychiatric symptoms. However, epilepsy is a chronic stressful condition for family life, and could have consequences on mental health of family members, so the impact is not only affecting the child but it also affects his family as well. The aim of this work was to study the prevalence of depression among school aged epileptic children and their siblings and to study the possible risk factors for these depressive disorders.