Abstracts

The goal of the study was to assess the Health Quality Of Life and the impact of depression on health related quality of life (HRQOL) of persons with epilepsy (PWE). Data for this study were collected on all patients to the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU) at the Erciyes University Gevher Nesibe Hospital In Kayseri between October 15, 2004 and October 15, 2005. We collected clinical and demographic data and information on health status by using Quality of life in epilepsy-89 ( QOLIE-89 ) and the Beck Depression Inventory from PWE group. Thus 103 patients compose the PWE group and seizure type were estabilished according to the International Classification Of Epilepsies. For the purpose of analysis the patients were categorised into two groups: (1) patients with partial seizures; and (2) those with geralised seizures. The mean age of PWE group was 21.4[plusmn]14.6 years, and 52.4 % of respondents were female of PWE, and 15.5 % had university-level education, and 45.6 % did not have a partner, and 66.0 % were unemployed and; 73.8 % belong to the urban community. Of epileptic patients 103 54.4 % had partial, and 45.6 % had generalised seizures and 32.0 % of patients were seizure free, 32.0 % had fewer than one seizure per month, and 36.0 % had one and more than one seizure over the past year. For the QOLIE-89 , PWE had moderate scores all subscales: The mean overall quality of life score was 61.78 [plusmn]16.57. Sociodemographic variables (age, gender, marital status) had no influence on the QOLIE-89 overall and subscales . The insurance did not have(r= -0.332) and had a low income level (r=0.386) were the demographic factors that correlated with overall quality of life and subscales scoresClinical factors such as high seizure frequency [italic]( r= -0.471) [/italic]and intake Antiepileptik Drugs regularly[italic]( r=-0.234)[/italic] seems to be ones of the most relevant determinents of poor quality of life for all overall and subscales scores and quality of life is worsened by the co-existence of depression (p[lt]0.05). Significiant correlations [italic](r=-0.413) [/italic]were found between QOLIE-89 overall and subscales scores for depression. Major depression is significiantly associated with poorer HRQOL than moderate and no depression ( p[lt]0.05). Clinical factors as a high seizure frequency and intake antiepileptic drugs regularly, and depression had a significiant influence on HRQOL. The insurance did not have and had a low income level were the demographic factors that correlated with overall quality life and subscales scores.[table1]