Epilepsy: religiosity/spirituality and psychiatric comorbidity

• Grant number: 22/06723-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2022
• End date: August 31, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Gloria Maria de Almeida Souza Tedrus
• Grantee: Yasmin Meneguci Petrarca
• Host Institution: Escola de Ciências da Vida (ECV). Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Campinas (PUC-CAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological condition characterized by recurrent epileptic seizures, due to excessive brain neuronal activity, usually self-limiting. In epilepsies, the occurrence of psychiatric disorders such as anxiety, depression, and suicidal behavior is higher than in the rest of the population. Objective: to assess, in adults with epilepsy, the correlation between suicidal behavior, psychiatric disorders, data on religiosity and spirituality, and the clinical aspects of epilepsy. Sampling and procedures: A total of 100 adults with epilepsy will be assessed (50 cases with temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis [TLE-HS] and 50 cases with other focal epilepsies) over 18 years old, treated at the clinical neurology outpatient clinic of the PUC-Campinas University Hospital. Adults with epilepsy will be assessed through anamnesis and clinical-neurological examination; the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale - anxiety (HADS-A) and depression (HADS-D); the Mini international neuropsychiatric interview suicide monitoring module - Brazilian version 5.0.0 (MINI) scale; and the Brief multidimensional measure of religiousness spirituality (BMMRS). The correlation between the dimensions, the global assessment of religiosity and spirituality, symptoms of depression and anxiety, suicidal behavior, and the clinical aspects of epilepsy will be studied, with a significance level of p< 0.05. Expected results: To assess the occurrence of risk of suicide and anxiety and depression in patients with epilepsy. It is expected to observe the perception of protection of religiosity and spirituality on the data of anxiety and depression and the risk of suicide. To compare whether the clinical aspects and the type of epilepsy interfere in the relationship between the perception of religiosity and spirituality and the risk of suicide. (AU)