Objectives : Anxiety is a common co-morbid symptom in patients with epilepsy, which can affect the treatment and prognosis of epilepsy patients. This study is designed to compare the characteristics of anxiety between epilepsy patients and normal controls and also analyze them in epilepsy patients by examining both seizure-related and socio-demographic variables. Methods : As cross-sectional study, 80 epilepsy patients were enrolled from January to July 2008. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-(STAI) was used to assess the characteristics of anxiety. STAI is composed of transitory episodes of anxiety-(state subscale of STAI ; STAI-S) and stable personality features presenting chronic levels of anxiety-(trait subscale of STAI ; STAI-T). As controls, 113 healthy age-and sex-matched people were included. Results : The mean score of STAI-S and STAI-T were not different in both groups(STAI-S ; p=0.998, STAIT ; p=0.343). Within patients, patients without occupational engagement showed higher STAI-S(p<0.001) and tendency to higher STAI-T(p=0.052). Patients with depression showed higher score in both modalities(STAIS and STAI-T ; p<0.001). Patients with aura showed higher STAI-T(p=0.031). Conclusions : STAI-S and STAI-T was not significantly different between patients and controls. Of 3 factors related to anxiety, higher STAI-T in patients with aura is likely to represent misunderstanding internal and external changes as an aura and worrying about impending seizure. Occupational engagement and depression had relation to both STAI-S and STAI-T and more concern is needed to evaluate the risk of anxiety and manage it appropriately.