Collaborative Care to Improve Quality of Life for Anxiety and Depression in Epilepsy

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating a 24-week neurology-based collaborative care intervention compared to usual neurology care for adults with epilepsy who also experience anxiety or depression. This randomized trial aims to assess how this collaborative approach affects quality of life related to emotional health in people with epilepsy. The study is conducted by Wake Forest University Health Sciences and focuses on improving mental health management alongside neurological care. The collaborative care program involves a care manager or social worker and a psychiatrist who work together with the participant and their neurologist. Participants in the intervention group receive care management calls every two weeks to assess anxiety, depression, seizures, and side effects, along with brief therapy interventions. The team holds collaborative care conferences to create expert recommendations for managing anxiety and depression and communicate these between all providers. The control group receives ongoing usual neurology care without this additional collaborative support. Participants are involved for 24 weeks during which their emotional quality of life is measured using the Quality of Life in Epilepsy Inventory QOLIE-31. Other assessments include adherence to the intervention, changes in epilepsy-specific quality of life, depression symptoms using Becks Depression Inventory, and anxiety symptoms using the Epilepsy Anxiety Survey Instrument. The study tracks these outcomes at 6 months, with adherence evaluated at 12 weeks. Safety and effectiveness of the collaborative care approach are monitored throughout the trial duration.

Collaborative Care for Anxiety and Depression in Epilepsy