Untreated Brain Aneurysms Raise Mental Illness Risk

TOPLINE: 
Having an untreated unruptured intracranial aneurysm (UIA) was associated with a 10% higher risk of mental illness than not having a UIA, especially among younger individuals and those requiring psychotherapy, a new study suggests.
METHODOLOGY:
Researchers conducted a retrospective observational study using data from a South Korean public health claims database from 2006 to 2020 that included 85,438 people with UIAs who were matched using propensity scoring with 331,123 controls with acute upper respiratory infection but no UIAs.
The primary outcome was the 10-year incidence of mental illness, categorized based on International Classification of Diseases 10th edition, codes as anxiety- and stress-related disorders, insomnia, alcohol or drug misuse, depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, and psychotic disorder.
Mean follow-up was 4.2 and 7.5 years for the UIA and control groups, respectively.
TAKEAWAY:
The overall incidence of mental illness was significantly higher in the UIA group versus the control group (113 vs 90 per 1000 person-years; hazard ratio [HR], 1.10; 95% CI, 1.09 – 1.12), with the risk slightly higher among men than women.
The risk for mental illness varied by age group, with the highest incidence observed among those in their 20s and 30s, followed by a decline with increasing age and an increase in those aged ≥ 70 years.
The incidence rate of severe mental illness requiring psychotherapy was also significantly higher in the UIA group versus controls (9.36 vs 5.52 per 1000 person-years; HR, 2.97; 95% CI, 2.85 – 3.10), with the highest risk among people in their 20s and 30s and women had a slightly higher risk than men.
Anxiety- and stress-related disorders were the most prevalent mental illnesses, followed by depressive disorder and insomnia.
IN PRACTICE:
“This elevated rate of mental health conditions suggests that younger people might be particularly vulnerable, highlighting the need for targeted mental health support and interventions for this age group. This includes providing clear explanations and tailoring treatment decisions for each person,” coauthor Na-Rae Yang, MD, PhD, assistant professor of neurosurgery at Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital, Ewha Womans University College of Medicine in Seoul, South Korea, said in a press release. 
SOURCE:
The study was led by Yang and Young Goo Kim, MD, PhD, Department of Neurosurgery, Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital. It was published online on August 26 in Stroke.
LIMITATIONS:
The study relied on claims data, which may not precisely determine disease severity. Patients with unreported UIAs may have been included in the control group. The NHID lacked information on potential confounding factors and their psychological effects on patients, which may have affected study findings. Furthermore, the study did not establish a pathophysiological correlation between UIA diagnosis and mental illness.
DISCLOSURES:
The study was supported by grants from the Institute of Information & Communications Technology Planning & Evaluation funded by the Korean government, Artificial Intelligence Convergence Innovation Human Resources Development (Ewha Womans University), and the National Research Foundation of Korea. No conflicts of interest were disclosed by the authors.
This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
 
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