Depression and Anxiety in Iranian Mothers of Children with Epilepsy

Objective Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder in children. Parents with epileptic children have many psychosocial care needs. So the main goal of this study was to evaluate depression and anxiety in Iranian mothers with epileptic children. Materials & Methods We identified 30 mothers of children with epilepsy and 30 mothers of children without epilepsy with children aged between 8 and 12 years who met the study criteria. In all children with epilepsy, the mothers were the main caregivers and all these children lived in two-parent families. Children in the control group were in the same age. Ninety-eight percent of children in the control group lived in two-parent families with the mother as the main caregiver. All mothers fulfilled the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Results According to these data, BDI scores were significantly higher in the mothers of epileptic children (mean of Beck score=16.5) compared to the control group (mean of Beck score=9.8). The total, Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory scores for mothers of children with epilepsy were 100.3, 51.7 and 48.6. However, these scores in the control group were 86.9, 45.1 and 41.8. These differences were statistically significant. In a second analysis, using the demographic data, we did not find any statistically significant relation between anxiety or depression and the mothers' job, children's medication and other demographic variables. Conclusion Neurologists and psychiatrists need to develop better programs for adequate management of psychiatric disorders in mothers with epileptic children.