Affiliations: Department of Mental Health, Obafemi Awolowo
University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria | Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, College of
Health Sciences, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria
Note: [] Correspondence: Dr. Abiodun O. Adewuya, Department of Mental
Health, OAUTHC, Wesley Guild Hospital, ILESA 233001, Osun State, Nigeria.
Tel.: +234 8055 617 605; E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: To investigate the rate and type of psychiatric diagnosis in a group
of Nigerian adolescents with epilepsy. Adolescents with
epilepsy (n=166) aged 12 to 18 years and healthy controls
(n=170) and their adult caretakers were interviewed with the
youth and parent versions of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children
version IV (DISC IV). The rate of any psychiatric disorder in adolescents with
epilepsy is 65.1%; any anxiety disorder is 33.1%; any depressive disorder is
30.1% and any disruptive disorder is 25.9%. Adolescents with epilepsy have
significant higher risk for generalized anxiety disorder, separation anxiety
disorders, major depressive disorders, dysthymia, attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder and conduct disorder than healthy controls. Psychiatric
morbidity is mainly associated with frequency of seizures (P <
0.001) and number of antiepilepsy drugs (P <
0.001). Nigerian adolescents with epilepsy have a higher rate of a
wide variety of psychiatric disorders than their healthy counterparts.
Interesting associations with conduct disorders have been found in our Nigerian
sample. All these should be taken into account when planning management of
these youth.
