Effectiveness of Cognitive- Behavioral Group Therapy on Depression in Intractable Epileptic Patients (with Focusing on Dysfunctional Attitudes in Epilepsy)

Objective Depression is the most prevalent co-morbid disorder in epilepsy and determines the highest variance in quality of life scores of patients with epilepsy. Cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) is the most effective psychotherapy method for treatment of depression. The purpose of this project was to determine the efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy on the depression of intractable epileptic patients in Isfahan; while focusing on dysfunctional attitudes related to epilepsy. Method 20 patients with chronic, poorly controlled seizures and mild to moderate clinical depression were randomly assigned to one experimental (N=10) and one control (N=10) group. Eight weekly sessions of CBT with focus on cognitive restructuring, modification of cognitive distortions and training of behavioral techniques was administered to the experimental group. Hamilton scale for depression (HRSD) was used as the pre-test and post- test for both two groups. Results Data analysis showed a significant post-test decrease in depression scores in the experimental group. Conclusion Cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) with focus on dysfunctional attitudes related to epilepsy, is remarkably effective as a complementary therapy in reduction of co-morbid depression in epileptic patients.