ObjectiveTo explore the clinical characteristics of epilepsy and depression patients, and provide guidance for clinical intervention of epilepsy and depression patients.MethodsPatients with epilepsy (epilepsy group) were prospectively enrolled in Emeishan People’s Hospital from 2015 to 2017, and healthy controls (control group) were enrolled in the same period. Clinical assessment of depression was conducted and compared between the two groups. In the epilepsy group, the severity and incidence of depression were analyzed and compared among different subgroups according to the epileptic seizure type, frequency and course.ResultsA total of 120 patients and 70 healthy controls were enrolled. The Hamilton Depression Scale score of epilepsy group was higher than that of the control group (t=7.430, P<0.001), and the depression degree of epilepsy group was significantly higher than that of the control group (Z=−4.371, P< 0.001). There was no significant difference in depression rating between convulsive epilepsy patients and partial epilepsy patients (Z=−1.591, P=0.112); there was no significant difference in depression rating among patients with different epilepsy course (χ2=1.943, P=0.584); there was significant difference in depression rating among patients with different seizure frequency (χ2=27.575, P<0.001). Patients with high frequency of seizures were more likely to suffer from depression and severe depression, with the lowest proportion of normal neuropsychological state. Conversely, patients with low frequency of epileptic seizures had a lower proportion of depression and severe depression.ConclusionsThe incidence of depression in epilepsy patients is higher than that in normal people. Timely detection and treatment of depression in clinical work have a positive impact on the prognosis of patients.