How does Depression affect People with Epilepsy?
People with epilepsy are felt to be at greater risk for Major Depression (MD) than the general population and those suffering from other medical conditions. It is felt that up to about one third of those with epilepsy suffer from associated depression.3,4,5,6 Many factors, as previously mentioned, can contribute to MD in an individual with epilepsy. No one factor is entirely responsible and it is felt that it is usually their combined effect that generally contributes to depression, with one factor perhaps predominating more than another in a given individual. Seizure activity, poor seizure control and kindling like phenomena may be causes of depression.7 Some people may also experience Postictal-Depression which is depression after seizures.7 There is a suggestion that those suffering from left temporal lobe epilepsy (L-TLE) are more predisposed towards depression, as well as those who have underlying brain disturbances producing seizures.3,8,9 Psychosocial factors predisposing to dep
