People diagnosed with unruptured brain aneurysms (weakened spots in brain blood vessels) have a higher risk of mental health issues, especially those under 40. A South Korean study found that the anxiety and stress from knowing about the aneurysm can lead to conditions like depression, insomnia, and substance misuse over ten years. Providing support to help manage this stress is essential for overall care.
“As a neurosurgeon, I see many patients who don’t need surgery but still feel fear and anxiety about their brain aneurysm before each imaging or screening test,” said Dr. Na-Rae Yang, an assistant professor of neurosurgery at Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital in Seoul, South Korea.
“Even when told that monitoring is the best option, they worry about the small risk of a fatal brain bleed. This study included all untreated aneurysms being monitored, regardless of size or rupture risk, to understand the psychological impact,” Yang explained.
This study is one of the first large-scale efforts to estimate the risk of mental health issues following an aneurysm diagnosis. Researchers analyzed data from South Korea’s National Health Information Database, which includes over 20 years of health records for more than 85,000 people. They compared mental health diagnoses between those with aneurysms and similar adults without aneurysms.
They found that people with an aneurysm were 10% more likely to develop mental health conditions, with a higher risk in those under 40. The risk was even more significant for cases diagnosed by a psychiatrist. This highlights the substantial psychological impact on younger patients and suggests a need for focused mental health support.
The study has limitations, including reliance on diagnostic codes from a national database, which may not fully capture individual patient care or mental health status. It also didn’t consider aneurysm size or location. The findings show an association but don’t prove that an aneurysm causes mental health issues. Since the study was conducted in South Korea, the results may not apply to other countries.
The research compared mental health conditions over ten years between 85,438 adults with untreated aneurysms and over 331,000 without aneurysms, matched for age, sex, and other factors. Mental health conditions were defined using ICD codes, and differences were adjusted for several factors.
This study found that people with untreated aneurysms are more likely to experience mental health problems compared to those without aneurysms, especially younger adults. This highlights the need for mental health support for those diagnosed with aneurysms.
The research will be published in the journal Stroke.