People who report hallucinations with seizures may be at increased risk of suicide, new Irish research has revealed.
Experts here have discovered a mental health link to the experiences of hearing and seeing things that are not there.
It had been assumed the commonly reported hallucinations were just part of the impact of seizures on brain activity.
But medics have been alerted that they may signal deeper mental health issues in those such as epilepsy sufferers.
The groundbreaking research was carried out by Trinity College and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and shows for the first time, the mental health significance of hallucinations.
Author Dr Ian Kelleher - Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Trinity - explained: “People with epilepsy are known to be at increased risk of suicide. But among individuals with seizures, it’s hard to pick out who is most at risk.
“What this research shows is that people with seizures who report hallucinations are a particularly high-risk group for suicidal behaviour – about half of these individuals had one or more suicide attempt.
“So, it’s important in epilepsy clinics to ask about hallucinations – and where someone endorses these symptoms, to carefully examine their mental state.”
Hallucinations are not routinely assessed in Irish epilepsy clinics according to the authors.
“We’ll need further research to fully understand the significance of hallucinations in people with seizures,” Dr Kelleher said.
“But what’s clear from this work is that, for clinicians working with people with seizures, asking about auditory and visual hallucinations should be a routine part of their assessment.”
Study co-author Kathryn Yates from the RCSI added: “It’s important to recognise that hallucinations don’t simply reflect abnormal electrical activity in individuals with epilepsy, they’re important markers of risk for mental health problems and suicidal behaviour.”
The study - published today in leading medical journal Epilepsia – shows that eight percent of people with a history of seizures report hallucinations, including experiences of hearing or seeing things that are not based in reality.
Of that group the report found 53 percent had made one or more suicide attempt while 65 percent also met criteria for one or more mental health disorders.
The research is part of a long-running mental health study involving 15,000 people living in the UK.
