[Psychological evaluation of patients with benign musculoskeletal system tumors]

This study was designed to determine to what extent psychological status was affected by sociodemographic characteristics and by being informed about the diagnosis in patients with benign musculoskeletal tumors.

The study included 112 male patients (mean age 23.8 years; range 20 to 35 years) who were hospitalized for benign tumors of the musculoskeletal system. A questionnaire was administered to all the patients concerning their sociodemographic characteristics and the status of their knowledge about the diagnosis. Psychological status was assessed by the Hamilton Depression Evaluation Scale.

The depression level was not correlated with the localization (upper or lower extremity) of the musculoskeletal system tumor, the marital status of the patient, and the presence or absence of knowledge of the patient about the diagnosis (p>0.05). Educational status was the only factor that was found to be in correlation with the depression level (p<0.05).

Lack of correlation between sociodemographic characteristics and the psychological status suggests that informing the patients with special attention to their physical and psychological integrity may contribute positively to the patients' psychiatric status.