Objective The objective of this study was to assess access to healthcare and to estimate the prevalence of depression and anxiety among persons with epilepsy (PWE) during the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods We conducted a multicountry online survey among PWE. Persons with epilepsy were invited to participate through various social media channels. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) scale were used to score anxiety and depression. Logistic regression modeling was used to investigate factors associated with anxiety and depression. Results Three hundred ninety-nine PWE were included (mean age: 38.22 ± 12.09 years), the majority were female (80.2%) and living in high-income countries (83.2%). Two hundred three PWE reported symptoms of a cold since January 2020. Nine (25%) of the 36 PWE tested for COVID were positive. A total of 72 PWE (19.6%) reported problems to obtain antiseizure medication (ASM), which in 25% of cases was directly COVID-related. Of the 399 PWE, 201 (50.4%) screened positive for anxiety according to the HADS; 159 (39.8%) and 187 (46.9%) PWE screened positive for depression based on the HADS and PHQ-9 scale, respectively. Female gender and financial problems were associated with both depression and anxiety. A planned follow-up consultation with the treating physician was associated with a lower risk of depression, whereas difficulties to access ASM treatment increased the odds of depression. In 65/137 (47.4%) PWE with a planned follow-up visit with the treating physician, this consultation was canceled. Conclusions Innovative approaches are needed to ensure continuity in access to ASM treatment. Healthcare workers should ensure continued follow-up, either through inperson or telehealth appointments, to timely identify symptoms of anxiety and depression and act accordingly.

中文翻译：

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COVID-19 大流行期间癫痫患者获得医疗保健的机会以及焦虑和抑郁的患病率：一项多国在线调查

目的 本研究的目的是评估在 2019 年冠状病毒病 (COVID-19) 大流行期间获得医疗保健的机会，并估计癫痫 (PWE) 患者的抑郁和焦虑患病率。方法 我们在 PWE 中进行了一项多国在线调查。癫痫患者被邀请通过各种社交媒体渠道参与。使用医院焦虑和抑郁量表 (HADS) 和 9 项患者健康问卷 (PHQ-9) 量表对焦虑和抑郁进行评分。Logistic 回归模型用于研究与焦虑和抑郁相关的因素。结果 共纳入 399 名 PWE（平均年龄：38.22 ± 12.09 岁），大多数为女性（80.2%）且生活在高收入国家（83.2%）。自 2020 年 1 月以来，203 名 PWE 报告了感冒症状。在接受 COVID 检测的 36 名 PWE 中，有 9 名（25%）呈阳性。共有 72 名 PWE (19.6%) 报告了获得抗癫痫药 (ASM) 的问题，其中 25% 的病例与 COVID 直接相关。在 399 名 PWE 中，201 名 (50.4%) 根据 HADS 筛选出焦虑阳性；根据 HADS 和 PHQ-9 量表，分别有 159 (39.8%) 和 187 (46.9%) 名 PWE 筛查出抑郁症阳性。女性性别和经济问题与抑郁和焦虑有关。与主治医生进行的有计划的后续咨询与较低的抑郁风险相关，而获得 ASM 治疗的困难增加了患抑郁症的几率。在 65/137 (47.4%) 计划对主治医师进行随访的 PWE 中，该会诊被取消。结论 需要创新的方法来确保获得 ASM 治疗的连续性。医护人员应确保通过面对面或远程医疗预约进行持续随访，以及时发现焦虑和抑郁的症状并采取相应措施。