Psychological support for epilepsy shows benefits that differ by outcome
A network meta-analysis compared approaches to anxiety, depression, and quality of life in people with epilepsy. Different interventions showed advantages on different measures.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
Psychotherapy and enhanced education showed statistically significant anxiety improvements compared with controls. The authors also reported depression benefits with psychotherapy, without explicitly stating statistical significance for that outcome. Several approaches improved quality of life. These findings concern psychological measures in people with epilepsy; they do not establish a single best approach.
The abstract provides no numerical effect estimates, confidence intervals, or assessment durations. This abstract-based account therefore cannot show how large, precise, or lasting the differences between approaches were.
The outcome changes the answer
Cognitive behavioral therapy, mind-body therapies, psychotherapy, and enhanced care each showed significant quality-of-life advantages over controls. That pattern differs from the anxiety and depression results, so the outcome being considered matters when interpreting the review.
Rankings need context
Enhanced education, psychotherapy, and enhanced care led the reported rankings for anxiety, depression, and quality of life, respectively. These rankings summarize relative ordering; without effect estimates, they do not reveal the size of the differences.
The original publication
Comparative effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions on anxiety, depression, and quality of life in patients with epilepsy: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.
Luo H, Ding X, Zhang J et al.
Front Psychiatry · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 40809854
- Record checked
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