Distinguishing and treating depression, anxiety, adjustment, and post-traumatic stress disorders in brain tumor patients

Abstract

Cancer patients often suffer from psychiatric disorders as a result of their disease and its treatment. Rates of depression, anxiety, adjustment, and post-traumatic stress disorders are particularly high for individuals with cancer and differentiating between these conditions is important for providing both appropriate and high-quality care. Patients with primary and metastatic brain tumors are particularly susceptible to psychiatric morbidities as a result of direct neuropsychiatric effects from the tumor itself, as well as psychological distress stemming from their diagnosis, prognosis, or treatment. However, these morbidities are often underdiagnosed, misdiagnosed, and undertreated. Many tools exist for screening, diagnosing, and treating psychiatric disorders in brain tumor patients, and palliative care settings are well suited to both identify and treat psychiatric disorders in brain tumor patients. This review summarizes our current knowledge of psychiatric disorders in patients in patients with brain tumors, highlights the susceptibility of brain tumor patients to psychiatric conditions, provides recommendations for differentiating and treating these conditions, and emphasizes the need for further research. The goal of this review is to inform healthcare providers of the opportunities to address psychiatric morbidities in patients with primary and metastatic brain tumors, particularly in palliative care settings, and identify areas in need of additional research.