摘要：Suicide risk, as well as psychiatric disorder, has been repeatedly reported in the international
literature as an important issue in the care of individuals suffering from epilepsy. In this
pilot study a sample comprising 103 patients with a diagnosis of temporal lobe epilepsy, were
collected from three clinics. The patients were administered the Beck hopelessness scale (BHS),
the Beck depression inventory (BDI) and the Zung self-rating anxiety scale (SAS). Hopelessness
has been identified as a construct linked to the prediction and the prevention of suicide. Twentysix
percent of the epileptic patients had scores ≥ 9 on the BHS, suggesting that they should be
evaluated for suicidal inclinations. These patients were significantly older by about 9 years and
had higher levels of depression and anxiety, but they did not differ in sex, age of onset of epilepsy
or in their responsiveness to medication. In the logistic regression analysis, a hopelessness
score ≥ 9 was predicted by BDI depression scores and SAS anxiety scores taking into account
sex, age and response to epileptic medications. Despite a number of limitations, this pilot study
adds support for the need for screening for suicide risk in patients with epilepsy. Both clinical
and psychometric data should be part of the evaluation of the epileptic patient for psychiatric
and suicidality assessment.
