Determinants of quality of life in people with epilepsy in Serbia

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed at finding determinants of quality of life in people with epilepsy (PWE) living in Belgrade, Serbia. Method: In this study, we recruited consecutive adults with epilepsy attending our outpatient department. Adult patients (age range: 18-65 years) of normal intelligence and without any progressive neurological disease or psychiatric disorder were included in the study. They completed the following questionnaires: QOLIE-31 Inventory (Serbian version), Beck's Depression Inventory-II, Beck's Anxiety Inventory, Symptom Check List-90, and Neurotoxicity Scale-II. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was performed to assess the predictive effects of some factors on QOLIE-31 Inventory. Results: The mean QOLIE-31 score of 203 patients who completed the questionnaires was 70.64 +/- 17.74. Sociodemographic factors (age, sex, education, and employment) did not significantly predict QOLIE-31 score. Significant determinants of quality of life were clinical characteristics - seizure severity and etiology of epilepsy - accounting for 30.9% of the variance, depressive and anxiety symptoms accounting for 42.8% of the variance, and cognitive effects of antiepileptic drugs, accounting for 1.5% above other variables. Conclusions: The results suggest that seizure severity and etiology of epilepsy, depressive and anxiety symptoms, and cognitive adverse medication effects are main determinants of quality of life in this population of PWE.