Adult epilepsy linked to mental health and work burdens among household members

A cross-sectional study in Epilepsia examined whether the burden associated with adult epilepsy extends to other adults in the household, beyond the caregivers typically studied. Researchers used 2017–2023 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data to compare adults aged 18 years and older without epilepsy living in households with versus without an adult with epilepsy. Outcomes included health-related quality of life, emotional well-being, work-related measures, and health care utilization and expenditures. Weighted regression models estimated adjusted associations with clustering at the household level; the abstract did not report sample size.

Adults without epilepsy in epilepsy households had lower mental health-related quality of life, with an adjusted mean difference of −2.1 points. They also had 55% higher odds of missing work to care for others and 52% higher odds of reporting worse general health. Unadjusted person-level income was approximately $3,400 lower and health care expenditures approximately $5,500 higher, but neither difference remained statistically significant after adjustment.

The findings suggest that assessing household members’ mental health and support needs may be relevant to epilepsy care. However, the cross-sectional design cannot establish that epilepsy caused these differences. Only the abstract was available, limiting assessment of adjustment variables, precision, and the clinical importance of the quality-of-life difference.