J Korean Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry.  2022 Oct;33(4):106-112. 10.5765/jkacap.220015.

Factors Affecting Depressive Symptoms in Children and Adolescents With Epilepsy

• Park SH
• Lee HW
• Kim GE
• Kim EJ

• KMID: 2533346
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5765/jkacap.220015

Abstract

Objectives
We aimed to evaluate the clinical and psychological factors influencing depressive symptoms in children and adolescents with epilepsy.
Methods
We administered self-reported questionnaires assessing children’s depressive symptoms (Children’s Depression Inventory, CDI) and anxiety (Revised Children’s Manifest Anxiety Scale, RCMAS) to children and adolescents with epilepsy (n=87, age range=6–17 years). We asked their parents to complete questionnaires on epilepsy-related variables, parental stress (Questionnaire on Resources and Stress, QRS), parental anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, STAI), family functioning (Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale, FACES), children’s attention problems (Abbreviated Conners Parent Rating Scale Revised, CPRS), and children’s behavioral problems (Korean Child Behavior Checklist, K-CBCL). Stepwise multiple regression analysis was performed to identify predictive variables affecting depressive symptoms.
Results
Family adaptability (r=-0.240, p=0.026), family cohesion (r=-0.381, p<0.001), children’s attention problems (r=0.290, p=0.006), children’s anxiety (r=0.714, p<0.001), children’s behavioral problems (r=0.371, p<0.001), parental anxiety (r=0.320, p=0.003), and parental stress (r=0.335, p=0.002) were significantly correlated with children’s depressive symptoms. Children’s anxiety (β=0.655, p<0.001) and parental stress (β=0.198, p=0.013) were significantly related to their depressive symptoms (adjusted R ² =0.539).
Conclusion
Clinicians should detect and manage children’s anxiety and parental stress, which may affect depressive symptoms in children and adolescents with epilepsy.

Keyword

Epilepsy; Child; Adolescent; Depression