Trauma Symptomatology in Patients Successfully Treated for Pituitary Adenoma

Abstract

The emotional symptomatology accompanying pituitary adenomas has long been recognized, though research has been scant, varied, and more focused on studies related to quality of life. The present study sought to better codify the psychological presentation of pituitary adenoma patients through the lens of trauma and PTSD symptomatology. 128 patients who were successfully treated for pituitary adenoma were recruited from the Wexner School of Medicine at Ohio State University. Ranging in age from 23 to 74, the participants’ mental health functioning was assessed by the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), and the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES). The findings of this pilot study showed that the rate of traumatization (PTSD) for pituitary adenoma patients was significantly higher than that of the general population. With regard to comorbid trauma-related mental health impairment, our results demonstrated that when moderated by sex, pituitary adenoma patients had significantly higher psychopathology than the non-clinical population. Replicating the existing research, there was a significant positive correlation between trauma symptoms and trauma-related psychopathology in patients successfully treated for pituitary adenoma. Overall, the results of this study demonstrate the traumatic nature of this disease and the need for applied clinical intervention. Further research is needed to replicate these findings, in light of potential selection bias and sample size.