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Psychiatric co-morbidity, distress, and use of psycho-social services in adult glioma patients—a prospective study

  • Original Article - Tumor - Glioma
  • Published:
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Abstract

Background

Distress impacts the daily life of glioma patients. This study explored its course over time and the usage of psychosocial care.

Methods

A consecutive sample of glioma patients completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale to assess distress levels at admission to the hospital (t1), before discharge (t2), after 3 months (t3), and after 6 months (t4). They were interviewed with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV to ascertain psychiatric disorders at t2. Psycho-oncological care in the hospital was determined with the Hospital Information System, and the use of outpatient treatment was evaluated with the Health Care Usage Questionnaire at t4. We compared the percentages of elevated distress, psychiatric co-morbidity, and care usage between men and women.

Results

During the study period, 37 patients were enrolled. Nineteen percent of the patients were diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder. The percentages of patients with elevated distress were 56, 59, 39, and 40% at t1, t2, t3, and t4, respectively. Participants who did not survive the 6 months presented with higher levels of distress. In the hospital, 14% of those with elevated distress were visited by a psycho-oncologist. In the outpatient setting, 43% of those with elevated distress visited a neuro-psychiatrist, and 14% went to a psychotherapist. There was no evidence for an effect of gender on psychiatric co-morbidity, distress, or care use.

Conclusions

A significant proportion of glioma patients report elevated distress during the hospital stay and thereafter. Only a fraction of them receive mental health care.

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Funding

This study was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Health (#NKP-332-026).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Epidemiology and Health Services Research, Institute of Medical Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics (IMBEI), University Medical Centre, Obere Zahlbacher Straße 69, 55131, Mainz, Germany

    Susanne Singer

  2. University Cancer Centre, Mainz, Germany

    Susanne Singer

  3. Department of Medical Sociology, University Medical Centre, Halle, Germany

    Julia Roick

  4. Department of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University Medical Centre, Leipzig, Germany

    Helge Danker

  5. Department of Radiation-Oncology, University Medical Centre, Leipzig, Germany

    Rolf-Dieter Kortmann & Kirsten Papsdorf

  6. Regional Clinical Cancer Registry, Leipzig, Germany

    Sabine Taubenheim

  7. Department of Neurosurgery, University Medical Centre, Mainz, Germany

    Mirjam Renovanz

  8. Department of Neurosurgery, University Medical Centre, Leipzig, Germany

    Katja Jähne & Jürgen Meixensberger

Authors
  1. Susanne Singer
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  2. Julia Roick
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  3. Helge Danker
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  4. Rolf-Dieter Kortmann
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Susanne Singer.

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Conflict of interest

SS received a grant from Pfizer, the quality of life prize from Lilly, and lecture fees from Pfizer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Boehringer Ingelheim. These were unrelated to the study presented here. The other authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethics

All procedures performed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments. The study protocol was approved by the local ethics committee. All participants provided written informed consent.

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Singer, S., Roick, J., Danker, H. et al. Psychiatric co-morbidity, distress, and use of psycho-social services in adult glioma patients—a prospective study. Acta Neurochir 160, 1187–1194 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00701-018-3527-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00701-018-3527-7

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