Prevalence and associated factors of anxiety disorder symptoms among people with epilepsy in Mekelle, Ethiopia, 2019: Institutional-based cross-sectional study.
Jemal Seid, Kalayu Mebrahtu, Fantahun Andualem
PMID 35170244WHAT IT FOUND
About 38.3% of 300 epilepsy outpatients in Ethiopia had moderate-to-severe anxiety symptoms on screening.
Stress symptoms, medication side effects, substance use, seizure injury, and illness beliefs were associated. Cause was not shown.
Key findings
01Among 300 epilepsy outpatients, 115 (38.3%) scored above 9 on GAD-7, which the study treated as anxiety symptoms.
02After adjustment, stress symptoms were associated with anxiety (adjusted odds ratio 9.636, 95% CI: 4.325, 21.469).
03Medication-related side effects, lifetime substance use, seizure-related physical trauma, secondary educational status, and believing epilepsy is a mental illness were also associated with anxiety in the adjusted analysis.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was cross-sectional, so it cannot show that stress, side effects, substance use, trauma, education, or illness beliefs caused anxiety. The anxiety outcome relied on questionnaire scores. The sample came from two hospitals in one Ethiopian city, so results may not transfer to other settings. Recall and response bias were possible, and some factors were assessed with single questions. Some GAD-7 item responses are reported out of 296 participants, although the paper says 300 were recruited and response rate was 100%.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the 38.3% prevalence or the adjusted odds ratios as proof that these factors caused anxiety. The study was cross-sectional and used questionnaire screens, so it measured symptoms at one time and did not establish cause and effect.