Psychiatric Comorbidities in Persons With Epilepsy Compared With Persons Without Epilepsy

Several psychiatric disorders have been found to occur more frequently in persons with epilepsy (PWE) than in persons without epilepsy. To summarize the prevalence of 20 psychiatric disorders in PWE compared with persons without epilepsy. The search included records from inception to February 2024 in Ovid, MEDLINE, Embase, and PsycINFO. Published epidemiological studies examining the prevalence of psychiatric disorders among PWE compared with persons without epilepsy were systematically reviewed. There were no restrictions on language or publication date. Abstracts were reviewed in duplicate, and data were extracted using a standardized electronic form. Descriptive statistics and meta-analyses are presented. Data were recorded on the prevalence of 20 psychiatric disorders among PWE compared with persons without epilepsy. Meta-analyses were performed along with descriptive analyses. The systematic search identified 10 392 studies, 27 of which met eligibility criteria. The meta-analyses included 565 443 PWE and 13 434 208 persons without epilepsy. The odds of most psychiatric disorders studied were significantly increased in PWE compared with those without epilepsy, including anxiety (odds ratio [OR], 2.11; 95% CI, 1.73-2.58); depression (OR, 2.45; 95% CI, 1.94-3.09); bipolar disorder (OR, 3.12; 95% CI, 2.23-4.36); suicidal ideation (OR, 2.25; 95% CI, 1.75-2.88) but not suicide attempt (OR, 3.17; 95% CI, 0.49-20.46); psychotic disorder (OR, 3.98; 95% CI, 2.57-6.15); schizophrenia (OR, 3.72; 95% CI, 2.44-5.67); obsessive-compulsive disorder (OR, 2.71; 95% CI, 1.76-4.15); posttraumatic stress disorder (OR, 1.76; 95% CI, 1.14-2.73); eating disorders (OR, 1.87; 95% CI, 1.73-2.01); alcohol misuse (OR, 3.64; 95% CI, 2.27-5.83) and alcohol dependence (OR, 4.94; 95% CI, 3.50-6.96) but not alcohol abuse (OR, 2.10; 95% CI, 0.60-7.37); substance use disorder (OR, 2.75; 95% CI, 1.61-4.72); autism spectrum disorder (OR, 10.67; 95% CI, 6.35-17.91); and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (OR, 3.93; 95% CI, 3.80-4.08). In this comprehensive study, most psychiatric comorbidities examined were significantly more prevalent in PWE than in those without epilepsy. These findings show the high burden of psychiatric comorbidities in PWE. This, in turn, underscores the need for appropriately identifying and treating psychiatric comorbidity in epilepsy to manage patients effectively and improve quality of life.