Impact of COVID-19 on the lives and psychosocial well-being of persons with epilepsy during the third trimester of the pandemic: Results from an international, online survey.
Epilepsy Behav
; 116: 107800, 2021 03.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-33571838
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) measures on the lives and psychosocial well-being of persons with epilepsy (PWE) during the third trimester of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A structured questionnaire investigating different aspects of the lives and psychosocial well-being of PWE during the COVID-19 pandemic was developed. Persons with epilepsy were invited via social media to anonymously respond to a secure web-based online questionnaire (www.icpcovid.com). Responses were collected between July 26th and December 3rd, 2020. Hospital anxiety and depression scales (HADS) were used to screen respondents for depression (HADS-D) and anxiety (HADS-A). RESULTS: Responses of 407 PWE were included in the analysis; 304 (74.7%) respondents were female and 245 (60.2%) living in Europe, 157 (38.6%) in South America, and 5 (1.2%) in Canada. Seventy-six (18.7%) reported a decrease of income during the COVID-19 lockdown, and 122 (30.0%) experienced difficulties in obtaining anti-seizure medication (ASM), mostly (72/122, 59.0%) due to unavailability. Seizure frequency increased in 122 (30.0%); 295 (72.5%) screened positive for anxiety, and 159 (39.1%) for depression. Hundred eighty-eight (46.2%) reported reluctance to seek medical care; 27.3% believed that epilepsy was associated with an increased risk of COVID-19 disease. Forty-six (74.2%) of 62 PWE who were followed up by telephone or video consult were satisfied with this consult. Fifty-five respondents, most (89.1%) of whom were from Europe, had also participated in a previous survey during the early months of the pandemic. In this subgroup, although there was no difference in prevalence of a positive screening for depression or anxiety, mean scores on HADS-A and HADS-D increased from 6.65⯱â¯3.99 to 7.27⯱â¯4.01 (pâ¯=â¯0.418), and from 5.84⯱â¯4.43 to 6.60⯱â¯4.45 (pâ¯=â¯0.371), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the psychosocial and somatic well-being of PWE. To minimize this impact, ensuring uninterrupted access to ASM is essential. Teleconsultations are valid alternatives for continued follow-up, but should include attention to psychosocial well-being. Persons with epilepsy should be more actively informed that epilepsy is not a risk factor for developing (more severe) COVID-19 disease.
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Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Inquéritos e Questionários
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Internacionalidade
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Epilepsia
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COVID-19
Tipo de estudo:
Etiology_studies
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Qualitative_research
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Risk_factors_studies
Limite:
Adult
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Female
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Humans
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Male
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Middle aged
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2021
Tipo de documento:
Article