Quality of Life, Mental Health, Epilepsy Co-morbidity

The Impact of Epilepsy on Quality of Life in the Elderly
Principal Investigator: Laura K. Vogtle, PhD
University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL

Purpose: to determine factors affecting quality of life in seniors with epilepsy.

Publications:

Martin R, Griffith HR, Faught E, Gilliam F, Mackey M, Vogtle L. Cognitive functioning in community dwelling older adults with intractable partial epilepsy. Epilepsia 2005; 46(2):298–303.

Martin R, Vogtle L, Gilliam F, Faught E. What are the concerns of older adults living with epilepsy? Epilepsy & Behavior 2005; 7:297–300.

Martin R; Vogtle L; Gilliam F; Faught E. Health-related quality of life in senior adults with epilepsy: what we know from randomized clinical trials and suggestions for future research. Epilepsy & Behavior 2003; 4 (6): 626–34.

California Health Interview Survey: Epilepsy and Health-related Quality of Life
Point of contact: David Grant, PhD
UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, Los Angeles, CA

Purpose: to obtain population-based estimates of the prevalence of epilepsy and the burden of impaired quality of life among persons with epilepsy; to obtain epilepsy-related data in racial/ethnic populations; and to identify health disparities and unmet needs associated with the disorder, using a representative random-digit dialed telephone survey of 55,000 households.

Publication:

Kobau R, Zahran H, Grant D, Thurman DJ, Price PH, Zack MM. Prevalence of active epilepsy and health-related quality of life among adults with self-reported epilepsy in California: California Health Interview Survey, 2003. Epilepsia 2007; 48(10):1904–13.

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Using Distance Technology for Treating Depression in People with Epilepsy
Principal Investigator: Nancy Thompson, PhD
Emory University, Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA

Purpose: to develop a small-group, cognitive-behavioral therapy and mindfulness intervention that can be delivered to patients with epilepsy via conference call or the Internet, to help alleviate and manage symptoms of depression.

Publications:

Thompson NJ, Walker ER, Obolensky N, Winning A, Barmon C, Diiorio C, Compton MT. Distance delivery of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression: project UPLIFT. Epilepsy & Behavior 2010; 19(3):247–54.

Walker ER, Obolensky N, Dini S, Thompson NJ. Formative and process evaluations of a cognitive-behavioral therapy and mindfulness intervention for people with epilepsy and depression. Epilepsy & Behavior 2010; 19(3):239–46.

Intervention Research on Home-Based Depression Treatment in People with Epilepsy
Principal Investigator: Paul Ciechanowski, MD
University of Washington, Dept. of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Seattle, WA

Purpose: to evaluate the effectiveness of the Program to Encourage Active, Rewarding Lives for Seniors (PEARLS) in adults with epilepsy who have minor or major depression or dysthymia, using a randomized controlled trial to determine the intervention's acceptability, feasibility, and outcomes in preparation for subsequent community-based dissemination.

 

Publications:

Ciechanowski P, Chaytor N, Miller J, Fraser R, Russo J, Unutzer J, Gilliam F. PEARLS depression treatment for individuals with epilepsy: a randomized controlled trial. Epilepsy & Behavior 2010; 19(3):225–31.

Chaytor N, Ciechanowski P, Miller JW, Fraser R, Russo J, Unutzer J, Gilliam F. Long-term outcomes from the PEARLS randomized trial for the treatment of depression in patients with epilepsy. Epilepsy & Behavior 2011;20(3):545–549.

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California Health Interview Survey 2005: Epilepsy, Psychological Distress, and Disease Comorbidity
Principal Investigator: David Grant, PhD
University of California, Los Angeles, CA

Purpose: (1) to assess the prevalence and severity of psychological distress among community-dwelling adults with epilepsy, using a validated mental illness instrument (Kessler 6 scale), and (2) to assess the burden of unmet mental health need in this population, using data from the 2003 and 2005 California Health Interview Survey

Publications:

Thompson, AW, Kobau R, Park R, Grant D. The treatment gap in epilepsy care and mental health care for people with epilepsy: California Health Interview Survey, 2005. (Submitted, Preventing Chronic Disease.)

Quality of Life Phenotypes in Adults with Epilepsy
Principal Investigator: Bruce Hermann, PhD

The purpose of this project is to conduct cluster analysis of CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System epilepsy data related to seizure frequency, mental health, behavioral risk factors, quality of life, and sociodemographic variables to provide more informative characterization of the health related consequences of epilepsy.

Publication: (in preparation)

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