The effect of depression on academic achievement in children with epilepsy

In this cross-sectional study our aim was to evaluate the effect of depression on academic achievement in children with epilepsy and low school performance. Fifty-one children with epilepsy and low school performance were evaluated with the Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI) to measure depressive symptoms. School performance was evaluated with Achenbach’s Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and the Teacher Report Form (TRF). Children diagnosed with depressive spectrum disorders received medical therapy. All tests were administered in the first interview and repeated at the end of 6 months of therapy. Forty-three children completed the study. The patients were evaluated with DSM-IV diagnostic criteria. Accordingly, 9 (20.9%) children had Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and 4 (9.3%) had Depressive Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified (DD-NOS). All children with MDD and DD-NOS received antidepressant medication, but only seven of them completed treatment. Posttreatment CDI scores were significantly lower, and TRF scores also improved. Pediatric neurologists should be aware of the possibility of depressive disorders in children with epilepsy, especially in those with low school performance.