title: Development of anxiety and depression in patients with benign intracranial meningiomas: a prospective long-term study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to provide the first prospective longitudinal assessment of anxiety and depression in patients with a benign intracranial meningioma (WHO° I).
  
  
  METHODS
  The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale was applied prior to (t1) and directly after (t2) neurosurgery as well as 6 months after surgery (t3). The research was conducted in a single treatment centre in Germany. Numerous sociodemographic, medical, psychological and cognitive accompanying measures were assessed. The study population consisted of 52 meningioma patients. Additionally, a control group of 24 patients with malignant brain tumours (astrocytoma WHO° III) was assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In meningioma patients, anxiety was high prior to surgery but declined significantly after successful neurosurgical treatment. Low levels of depression were observed at all times. In contrast, astrocytoma patients showed constantly high levels of anxiety whilst depression increased over the course of the disease. Numerous medical, psychosocial and psychological factors were associated with psychiatric morbidity in meningioma patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In conclusion, psychiatric morbidity of patients with benign intracranial meningiomas was comparable to that of the general population after successful neurosurgical treatment. Numerous associated factors suggest complex relationships within a biopsychosocial model. However, due to the small sample size and recruitment in a single institution, our results are of limited generalisability and need cross-validation in future studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Schittenhelmstr 10, 24105, Kiel, Germany. goebels@nch.uni-kiel.de
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Goebel
authors.forename: H Maximilian
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Mehdorn
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008577:Meningeal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery; D008579:Meningioma / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011582:Psychological Theory; D055815:Young Adult