Prevention of and early intervention for behavioral health disorders in people with epilepsy

Persons with epilepsy (PWE) are at 3 to 5 times higher risk for behavioral health comorbidities (e.g., anxiety, depression, aggression, and other behavioral problems) compared to those without epilepsy. The impact of behavioral health comorbidities is often more detrimental to health related quality of life (HRQOL) and health outcomes than seizure-specific factors. These comorbidities are only detected in about one-third of PWE and nearly two-thirds of them may not receive the necessary behavioral health care. In fact, persons with epilepsy experience higher rates of unmet behavioral health care needs compared to the general population and compared to other chronic illness groups. Insufficiently managed behavioral health comorbidities in PWE are associated with higher rates of health care utilization, suboptimal medication adherence, poorer health outcomes, and lower HRQOL. In contrast, integration of behavioral health care services in epilepsy management improves HRQOL and reduces health care utilization, without increasing health care costs.

In response to the disproportionately high rates of behavioral health comorbidities and continued unmet behavioral health care needs among PWE, the goal of this research topic is to promote cutting edge research on the prevention of and early intervention for behavioral health disorders in PWE. Specifically, this research topic aims to highlight studies that: 1) examine prevention strategies, and 2) provide support for evidence-based early intervention (e.g., medication, psychological treatment, etc).

The types of manuscripts that are eligible include: 1) randomized, controlled trials and preliminary trials, 2) prospective examination of predictors of behavioral health functioning, including biomarkers, phenotypes, sociodemographic and other clinical variables (e.g., seizure type and etiology, age, etc.), that can inform development of early intervention.