Takeaway
In patients with epilepsy, lifetime history of a psychiatric disorder resulted in a significantly increased risk of mortality when compared to those without a psychiatric condition.
Why this matters
People with epilepsy have an estimated 2.3-fold increased risk of mortality compared to the general population, as well as high rates of psychiatric comorbidities and suicide.
The additional increase in mortality identified in patients with comorbid psychiatric conditions underlines the importance of routinely assessing for and treating psychiatric conditions in people with epilepsy.