Abstracts

Rationale: Prevalence rates in youth with epilepsy are 10-30% for depression and > 25% for suicidal ideation. This increased risk is present before the first recognized seizure and over the chronic course of epilepsy. Adolescents are particularly vulnerable. Therefore, particular attention to the methods and measures used to assess depression in adolescents with epilepsy is necessary. To address critical gaps in health care and national priorities of epilepsy stakeholders, this study evaluated the psychometric properties and utility of the revised Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy-Youth (NDDI-E-Y). Methods: Participants were youth ages 12-17 who were diagnosed with epilepsy (ICD 9 codes 345.0 through 345.9x), had IQ>85, and were able to self-report. During a routine epilepsy visit, youth completed self-report measures: NDDI-E-Y, the CDI-2, and Pediatric NeuroQoL. The NDDI-E-Y was derived from the adult NDDI-E and revised for youth. An 11-item NDDI-E-Y was previously administered to 93 youth with epilepsy. Preliminary indices of reliability and validity were established. Based on results, the measure was revised to a 12-item scale for the current study. Response choices range from 0 (never) to 3 (always). The CDI-2 is a 28-item "gold standard" measure of depressive symptoms. The Depression Short Form of the Pediatric NeuroQoL, is a 8-item measure of depressive symptoms validated in youth with neurological disorders. Seizure and demographic information was abstracted from electronic medical record. Results: Sixty-nine youth (N=23 males; N=46 females) completed measures. Forty-three identified as White Non-Hispanic, 23 as Black, 1 as White Hispanic, and 2 as "Other." Participants' ages ranged from 12-17 (M=15; SD=1.28). NDDI-E-Y total scores ranged from 1 to 30 (M=15.27; SD=6.97). Cronbach's alpha was 0.89. CDI-2 total raw scores ranged from 2-34 (M=14.24; SD=7.78). Cronbach's alpha was 0.86. Raw scores on the NeuroQoL ranged from 8-36 (M=16.34; SD= 6.72). Cronbach's alpha was 0.88. The NDDI-E-Y was significantly correlated with the CDI-2 (r=0.78, p <.01) and the NeuroQoL (r=0.75, p<.01). Data on 40+ additional participants have been collected but are not yet available for analyses. These data will allow for further validation (e.g., Factor Analysis, ROC analysis, and individual item comparison). Conclusions: Initial results indicate strong internal consistency for the NDDI-E-Y, comparable to the CDI-2, in youth with epilepsy ages 12-17. In terms of construct validity, the NDDI-E-Y was significantly associated with the gold standard CDI-2 and another well validated brief depression scale, the NeuroQoL Depression Short Form. Brief, inexpensive (i.e., free) depression screening tools are necessary to promote and increase access to mental health screening for youth with epilepsy. A measure such as the NDDI-E-Y could be administered by any epilepsy professional and would have strong clinical utility. This study was funded by the William Henkin Foundation