Fear of Public Places Is Common in Adults With Epilepsy - Neuroscience News

Researchers analyzed a diverse sample of 420 adults, ages 18 to 75, with epilepsy who underwent neuropsychological evaluation over a 14-year period at Columbia University Medical Center in New York.

According to Munger Clary, because phobic/agoraphobic symptoms are not routinely assessed by clinicians, the findings may suggest a need for future studies to develop more comprehensive screeners for psychiatric comorbidity in epilepsy.

Image is in the public domainAccording to Munger Clary, because phobic/agoraphobic symptoms are not routinely assessed by clinicians, the findings may suggest a need for future studies to develop more comprehensive screeners for psychiatric comorbidity in epilepsy.

This may be important to improve health equity, given other key study findings that show those with lower education and non-white race/ethnicity had increased odds of significant phobic/agoraphobic symptoms.”

Afraid to go out: Poor quality of life with phobic anxiety in a large cross-sectional adult epilepsy center sample

Although the current literature has established increased incidence of anxiety and depression in PWE and their contribution to poor quality of life, little is known regarding the presence and impact of specific phobia and agoraphobia.