Depression, anxiety and quality of life in parents of children with epilepsy.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the impact of childhood epilepsy on parental quality of life (QOL) and psychological health, and to investigate possible correlations between parental QOL and background variables as well as parental anxiety and depression. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Parents having an epileptic child (n = 263) and parents having a healthy child (n = 270) were enrolled. Groups were in balance for background variables. Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) Questionnaire, Zung Depression Scale (ZDS) and Zung Anxiety Scale (ZAS) were applied to all parents. Patients were divided into the first visit group (newly diagnosed epilepsy) and follow-up visit group.
RESULTS: The parents of children with epilepsy had significantly lower QOL scores in SF-36 for all subscales and higher levels of depression and anxiety by using ZDS and ZAS. The factors correlated with parental QOL were seizure control, visit status, anxiety, depression, employment, cost of epilepsy, status epilepticus, drug side effect and age of parents.
CONCLUSIONS: Childhood epilepsy has a severe impact on parental QOL and psychological health, and recognition of possible correlations between parental QOL and background variables will be helpful to improve parental QOL.