Mental health of children with epilepsy in war
Key points
War significantly impacts mental health and seizure control in children with epilepsy.
Girls showed higher trauma-related symptoms than boys.
Post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) prevalence was lower than expected, possibly due to proxy reporting or displacement effects.
Access to medical care and anti-seizure medications is critical; lack thereof worsens mental health and epilepsy severity.
Interventions should be trauma-informed, multilevel, and resilience-oriented, with targeted screening for mental health in this vulnerable group
Link to article
Kharytonov V, Cross JH, Dubenko A, Wiebe S. Mental health of children with epilepsy in Ukraine during the war. Epilepsia. 2026; 67: 3686–3695.