Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Nov 4;139(1):11-19.
doi: 10.3171/2022.9.JNS221139. Print 2023 Jul 1.

Recognizing the psychological impact of a glioma diagnosis on mental and behavioral health: a systematic review of what neurosurgeons need to know

Jacob S Young  1 , Nadeem Al-Adli  1   2 , Youssef E Sibih  1 , Katrina L Scotford  1 , Megan Casey  3 , Steven James  4 , Mitchel S Berger  1
Affiliations

Recognizing the psychological impact of a glioma diagnosis on mental and behavioral health: a systematic review of what neurosurgeons need to know

Jacob S Young et al. J Neurosurg. .

Abstract

A cancer diagnosis is life altering and frequently associated with both acute and long-lasting psychosocial and behavioral distress for patients. The impact of a diffuse glioma diagnosis on mental health is an important aspect of the patient experience with their disease. This needs to be understood by neurosurgeons so these concerns can be appropriately addressed in a timely fashion and integrated into the multidisciplinary care of neuro-oncology patients. The relatively grave prognosis associated with diffuse gliomas, the morbidity associated with treatment, and the constant threat of developing a new neurological deficit all can negatively affect a patient's mental ability to cope and ultimately manifest in mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression. The objective of this systematic review was to describe the variety of behavioral health disorders patients may experience following a glioma diagnosis and discuss possible treatment options. The PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and PsycINFO databases were searched through July 1, 2022, using broad search terms, which resulted in 5028 studies that were uploaded to Covidence systematic review software. Duplicates, non-English-language studies, and studies with irrelevant outcomes or incorrect design were removed (n = 3167). A total of 92 articles reporting behavioral health outcomes in brain tumor patients were categorized and extracted for associations with overall mental health, anxiety, depression, distress, stress, pharmacology, interventions, and mental health in caregivers. The authors identified numerous studies reporting the prevalence of mental health disorders and their negative influence in this population. However, there is a paucity of literature on therapeutic options for patients. Given the strong correlation between patient quality of life and mental well-being, there is a considerable need for early recognition and treatment of these behavioral health disorders to optimize everyday functioning for patients.

Keywords: glioma; mental health; neurobehavioral; oncology; primary brain tumor; psychosocial; quality of life.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews (PRISMA) Flow Diagram of Literature Search Performed.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.. Schematic Demonstrating Variability in Symptom Severity Over Time in Brain Tumor Patients.
Certain times during the patient’s treatment course, such as at the time of diagnosis, surgery, surveillance scanning, or tumor recurrence, maybe associated with elevated levels of anxiety or depression. Stress-levels have been reported to remain elevated throughout a patient’s entire time with a disease.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Lucas MR. Psychosocial implications for the patient with a high-grade glioma. Journal of Neuroscience Nursing. 2010;42(2):104–108. doi:10.1097/JNN.0b013e3181ce5a34 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Frances SM, Velikova G, Klein M, et al. Long-term impact of adult WHO grade II or III gliomas on health-related quality of life: A systematic review. Neurooncol Pract. 2022;9(1):3–17. doi:10.1093/nop/npab062 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Bhanja D, Ba D, Tuohy K, et al. Association of Low-Grade Glioma Diagnosis and Management Approach with Mental Health Disorders: A MarketScan Analysis 2005–2014. Cancers (Basel). 2022;14(6):1376. doi:10.3390/cancers14061376 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Leonetti A, Puglisi G, Rossi M, et al. Factors Influencing Mood Disorders and Health Related Quality of Life in Adults With Glioma: A Longitudinal Study. Front Oncol. 2021;11:662039. doi:10.3389/fonc.2021.662039 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Acquaye AA, Vera-Bolanos E, Armstrong TS, Gilbert MR, Lin L. Mood disturbance in glioma patients. J Neurooncol. 2013;113(3):505–512. doi:10.1007/s11060-013-1143-1 - DOI - PubMed

Publication types