Exploration of age and sex differences in depressive symptoms and illness attitudes for youth with epilepsy and juvenile rheumatic disease

The aim was to explore the relationship of youth age and sex to depressive symptoms and illness attitudes in youth with epilepsy and juvenile rheumatic disease. Youth with epilepsy or juvenile rheumatic disease between the ages of 7 and 19 years completed measures of depressive symptoms and illness attitudes. A significant 3-way interaction, Disease Group × Sex × Age, was found when predicting depressive symptoms. Post hoc analyses revealed a simple 2-way Disease Group × Age interaction for males and females. Younger males and adolescent females with epilepsy reported greater depressive symptoms than younger males and adolescent females with a juvenile rheumatic disease. Youth with epilepsy reported more negative illness attitudes than youth diagnosed with a juvenile rheumatic disease, but no other main effects or interactions were found. Results suggest early screening of depressive symptoms, with particular attention to younger males and adolescent females with epilepsy.