Stigma, self esteem and depression in adolescent patients with epilepsy / Yassmin Fouad Elnawawy ; Supervised Lamis Ali Elray , Heba Fathy Abdelreheem , Nirmeen Adel Kishk

Thesis (M.Sc.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Medicine - Department of Neuropsychiatry

Introduction: Epilepsy affects close to 1% of adolescents. Adolescents with epilepsy (AWE) experience comorbid psychiatric disorders, the most common of which is depression. Epilepsy in adolescents is associated with a perceived stigma of epilepsy and with low self-esteem. Objective: This study aims to evaluate depression, perceived illness stigma of epilepsy, and self-esteem in a sample of AWE; and to evaluate the association between depression and the latter two variables in AWE. Methods: This is a cross- sectional case- control study. Adolescents (14-22 years of age) with idiopathic epilepsy (AWE) in Kasr Al Ainy outpatient epilepsy clinic were interviewed using The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis-I Disorders to assess presence or absence of depression (depressive disorders). 30 AWE with depression and 30 AWE without depression (as controls) were recruited, using convenient purposive sampling. The Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness scale was used to assess perceived illness stigma of epilepsy and the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale was used to assess self-esteem in both cases and controls. The AWE with depression were also interviewed by Beck Depression inventory and Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression

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