Psychosocial Issues beyond Seizures: A Study of Behavioral Problems in Paediatric Epilepsy Patients

Pediatric patients suffering from epilepsy are known to have behavioural problems and learning disabilities as co-morbidity. The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity among children receiving treatment for epilepsy at a tertiary care hospital and estimate the unmet need for psychiatric services in this group of patients. It is a prospective study conducted on 80 patients with epilepsy falling in age group of 3-12 years from January to March -2014. A high prevalence (66.25 %) of behavioural disorders was found among these patients. Despite a high prevalence, nearly all patients with psychiatric disorder had no prior contact with psychiatric services and hence, this study finds need for upliftment of psychiatric services to epilepsy children. Comprehensive management of epilepsy is much beyond seizure free life.