Help-seeking and treatment preferences for depression in epilepsy

Depression among people with a diagnosis of epilepsy is common, underrecognized, and undertreated, yet the reasons for this are unclear. In this study people with a diagnosis of epilepsy recruited from primary care were mailed a questionnaire covering help seeking for psychological distress, treatment preferences for depression, and current symptoms of depression using the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ2). Eighty-six people with epilepsy responded to the survey and 44% of the sample reported they would not seek help if they were feeling stressed, worried, or low and it was affecting their daily lives. Almost 40% of the participants screened positive for current depression and PHQ2 scores were statistically unchanged over an average of 8.6 months. The most popular treatment for depression was advice from a general practitioner or from family and friends. The majority of respondents felt speed of treatment should take priority over receiving preferred treatment for depression care. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.