Sex differences in anxiety in patients with epilepsy: Status and risk factors analysis.

OBJECTIVES

Evidence has indicated that there may be sex differences in the prevalence of and risk factors for anxiety in patients with epilepsy (PWE). The prevalence and risk factors for anxiety in male and female PWE in Northeast China were investigated.

METHODS

A consecutive cohort of patients with epilepsy (PWE) from the First Hospital of Jilin University was recruited. Anxiety symptoms were assessed using the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 questionnaire (GAD-7; Chinese version). Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to confirm independent risk factors for anxiety in male and female patients.

RESULTS

Anxiety was prevalent in 28.2% (n = 162) of the total sample of patients, in 23.2% (n = 79) of males, and in 35.5% (n = 83) of females. Younger age (P = 0.033), higher seizure frequency over the last year (P = 0.003), and higher C-NDDI-E scores (P = 0.001) were risk factors for anxiety in males with epilepsy. Only higher C-NDDI-E scores (P = 0.001) had an independent effect on the risk of anxiety in females with epilepsy.

CONCLUSION

Anxiety is a common psychiatric comorbidity among PWE. There were sex differences in the prevalence and risk factors for anxiety in patients.