Quality of Life and Psychiatric Comorbidities in Patients of Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a stigmatizing disorder. The impact of epilepsy on an individual’s life extends beyond direct effects of seizure which lead to reduced quality of life and disability. Assessment of the quality of life is now an important component of clinical care in epilepsy. Psychosocial factors such as low self-esteem, professional difficulties, and social rejection significantly contribute to psychiatric co morbidities as anxiety, depression in people with epilepsy. Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy is an age-related idiopathic epilepsy syndrome representing 5-10 % of all epilepsy cases. It is well controlled with appropriate anti-epileptic drugs but requires lifelong treatment due to high relapse rate attributed to psychiatric co morbidities and psychosocial characteristics. It is to be reviewed if there is any association of psychiatric comorbidity with sociodemographic factors, antiepileptic medication and duration of illness in patients with JME. Also, the quality of life in relation to psychiatric co morbidities needs to be evaluated.