Sex-based differences in the prevalence of and risk factors for depression in adult patients with epilepsy in Northeast China.

Abstract Objectives To confirm whether the prevalence of depression in patients with epilepsy (PWE) is different between the sexes, whether risk factors for depression vary between the sexes, and whether the association between cognitive function and depression in PWE is influenced by patient sex. Methods A cohort of consecutive PWE from the First Hospital of Jilin University (Changchun, China) was recruited. Depressive symptoms were evaluated using the Chinese version of the Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy scale, and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify independent risk factors for depression in both male and female PWE. Results Female PWE experienced more serious depressive symptoms (p = 0.001) than male PWE. Risk factors affecting comorbid depression varied according to sex. Among male PWE, per capita monthly family income (odds ratio [OR] 0.515 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.311–0.851]; P = 0.01), seizure frequency over the past year (OR 1.586 [95% CI 1.019–2.468], P = 0.041), polytherapy (OR 0.446 [95% CI 0.214–0.931]; P = 0.032), and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scale score (OR 0.926 [95% CI 0.873–0.982]; P = 0.011) were independent risk factors for depression. Among female PWE, educational level (OR 0.604 [95% CI 0.364–1]; P = 0.05) and MoCA scale score (OR 0.921 [95% CI 0.859–0.987]; P = 0.02) were independent risk factors for depression. Conclusion Depression was a common psychiatric comorbidity among PWE, and the prevalence of and risk factors for depression differed between males and females.