Frequency and clinical associations of common mental disorders in adults with high-grade glioma-A multicenter study.

in Cancer by Susanne Singer, Melanie Schranz, Melina Hippler, Robert Kuchen, Carolin Weiß Lucas, Jürgen Meixensberger, Michael Karl Fehrenbach, Naureen Keric, Meike Mitsdoerffer, Jens Gempt, Jan Coburger, Almuth Friederike Kessler, Jens Wehinger, Martin Misch, Julia Onken, Marion Rapp, Martin Voß, Minou Nadji-Ohl, Marcus Mehlitz, Marcos Tatagiba, Ghazaleh Tabatabai, Mirjam Renovanz

TLDR

  • This study looked at patients with a type of brain tumor called high-grade glioma. They found that about one third of these patients also had a mental disorder, such as depression or anxiety. The study also found that younger age, living alone, fatigue, and impaired cognitive function were linked to a higher risk of having a mental disorder. The study didn't find any link between gender, type of brain tumor, or other factors and the risk of having a mental disorder.

Abstract

One third of adults with cancer suffer from common mental disorders in addition to their malignant disease. However, it is unknown whether this proportion is the same in patients who have brain tumors and which factors modulate the risk for psychiatric comorbidity. In a multicenter study, patients with high-grade glioma at 13 neurooncology clinics were enrolled consecutively and interviewed with the Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (SCID) to diagnose common mental disorders. Predictors of psychiatric comorbidity were investigated using binary logistic regression. Six hundred ninety-one patients were interviewed. The proportion of patients who had mental disorders was 31% (95% confidence interval [CI], 28%-35%). There was evidence for an association of psychiatric comorbidity with the following factors: younger age (odds ratio [OR], 1.9; 95% CI, 1.1-3.4; p = .04), stable disease versus complete remission (OR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.1-2.8; p = .04), lower income (OR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.0-2.8; p = .04), living alone (OR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.0-2.6; p = .05), fatigue (OR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.1-2.4; p = .03), and impaired cognitive functioning (OR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.5-3.6; p < .01). There was no evidence for independent effects of gender, histology, affected lobe, time since diagnosis, or employment status. Approximately one third of adult patients with high-grade glioma may suffer from a clinically relevant common mental disorder, without notable disparity between the genders. In particular, clinicians should pay attention to possible comorbidities for cases in which patients exhibit compromised subjective cognitive function, are younger than 50 years, maintain a state of stable disease, or live alone.

Overview

  • The study aims to investigate the proportion of patients with high-grade glioma who suffer from common mental disorders and identify factors that modulate the risk for psychiatric comorbidity. The study used a multicenter design, enrolling 691 patients with high-grade glioma at 13 neurooncology clinics. The Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (SCID) was used to diagnose common mental disorders. Predictors of psychiatric comorbidity were investigated using binary logistic regression. The primary objective of the study is to determine the proportion of patients with high-grade glioma who suffer from common mental disorders and identify factors that modulate the risk for psychiatric comorbidity.

Comparative Analysis & Findings

  • The study found that 31% of patients with high-grade glioma had common mental disorders. The study identified several factors that were associated with psychiatric comorbidity, including younger age, stable disease versus complete remission, lower income, living alone, fatigue, and impaired cognitive functioning. There was no evidence for independent effects of gender, histology, affected lobe, time since diagnosis, or employment status. The study suggests that clinicians should pay attention to possible comorbidities for cases in which patients exhibit compromised subjective cognitive function, are younger than 50 years, maintain a state of stable disease, or live alone.

Implications and Future Directions

  • The study's findings highlight the importance of identifying and addressing psychiatric comorbidities in patients with high-grade glioma. The study's findings suggest that clinicians should pay attention to possible comorbidities for cases in which patients exhibit compromised subjective cognitive function, are younger than 50 years, maintain a state of stable disease, or live alone. Future research should investigate the effectiveness of interventions aimed at addressing psychiatric comorbidities in patients with high-grade glioma. Additionally, future research should investigate the impact of other factors, such as treatment regimens and patient-reported outcomes, on the risk for psychiatric comorbidity in patients with high-grade glioma.
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