Investigating the psychological consequences of adult-onset craniopharyngioma

Background: The physical health impact of a diagnosis of Adult-Onset Craniopharyngioma (AOC) has been extensively explored and understood in the literature. However, a diagnosis of AOC also impacts the psychological well-being of patients, and there is a dearth of research that explores this. Literature review: A literature review was conducted to explore the existing literature on the psychological well-being and quality of life of patients with AOC. This review revealed that patients do experience psychological difficulties, however, it highlighted a need for further research. Aim and method: The studies aimed to quantitatively assess the impact of AOC on patients’ mental health and psychological outcomes and to assess if a diagnosis of AOC impacts ratings of social and emotional content. Study One employed a survey-based design, and Study Two employed an experimental-based design. Participants with AOC were matched to controls for comparison. Thirty-six participants with AOC participated in Study One, and 19 completed Study Two. Results: Study One results found that participants with AOC demonstrated significantly more depressive and anxious symptoms, greater alexithymia, and poorer social functioning. Participants with AOC also had greater disruption related to their body size, greater fatigue, and more life disruption due to vision impairment. Additionally, participants with AOC had significantly lower satisfaction with life and their depression, anxiety, resilience and fatigue scores significantly predicted their satisfaction with life. Study Two did not find a significant difference between ratings of social and emotional content between participant groups. Conclusions: The findings of the present thesis revealed that participants with AOC experience psychological difficulties, with some areas of psychological functioning being worse than others. The studies offer new insights into the understanding of the psychological health of participants with AOC. The findings highlight important areas to be focused on in future practice, theory and research.