@article{ref1,
title="Mental health outcomes of encephalitis: an international web-based study",
journal="European journal of neurology",
year="2024",
author="Butler, Matt and Abdat, Yasmin and Zandi, Michael and Michael, Benedict D. and Coutinho, Ester and Nicholson, Timothy R. and Easton, Ava and Pollak, Thomas A.",
volume="31",
number="1",
pages="e16083-e16083",
abstract="BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Acute encephalitis is associated with psychiatric symptoms. Despite this, the extent of mental health problems following encephalitis has not been systematically reported.   METHODS: We recruited adults who had been diagnosed with encephalitis of any aetiology to complete a web-based questionnaire.   RESULTS: In total, 445 respondents from 31 countries (55.1% UK, 23.1% USA) responded. Infectious encephalitis constituted 65.4% of cases, autoimmune 29.7%. Mean age was 50.1 years, 65.8% were female, and median time since encephalitis diagnosis was 7 years. The most common self-reported psychiatric symptoms were anxiety (75.2%), sleep problems (64.4%), mood problems (62.2%), and unexpected crying (35.2%). Self-reported psychiatric diagnoses were common: anxiety (44.0%), depression (38.6%), panic disorder (15.7%), and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD; 21.3%). Severe mental illnesses such as psychosis (3.3%) and bipolar affective disorder (3.1%) were reported. Self-reported diagnosis rates were broadly consistent with results from the Psychiatric Diagnostic Screening Questionnaire. Many respondents also reported they had symptoms of anxiety (37.5%), depression (28.1%), PTSD (26.8%), or panic disorder (20.9%) that had not been diagnosed. Rates of psychiatric symptoms did not differ between autoimmune and infectious encephalitis. In total, 37.5% respondents had thought about suicide, and 4.4% had attempted suicide, since their encephalitis diagnosis. More than half of respondents (53.5%) reported they had no, or substandard, access to appropriate mental health care. High rates of sensory hypersensitivities (>75%) suggest a previously unreported association.   CONCLUSIONS: This large international survey indicates that psychiatric symptoms following encephalitis are common and that mental health care provision may be inadequate. We highlight a need for proactive psychiatric input.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1351-5101",
doi="10.1111/ene.16083",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ene.16083"
}