Beyond the curve: the mental health burden of Scheuermann's kyphosis

To examine the prevalence and association of mental health symptoms, social factors, and healthcare experiences in individuals diagnosed with Scheuermann's disease (SD).

We analyzed self-reported data from the Scheuermann's Disease Fund (SDF) CoRDS registry from September 2021 to March 2025, which included 168 patients. Of these patients, 106 self-reported a Cobb angle. Participants completed a 196-item questionnaire covering demographics, curve severity, mental health domains of anxiety, depression, PTSD, and social isolation, healthcare experiences, and social factors. Statistical analyses, including descriptives and chi-square tests (α = 0.05), were conducted with IBM SPSS Statistics v30.

Patients diagnosed with SD in these specific cohort were between the ages of 11-20 (59.5%), 21-40 (28.0%), and > 41 (12.5%) years, with thoracic kyphosis Cobb angle < 60º (15.1%), 61-80° (40.6%) or 81° and above (44.3%). Patients often reported pain (73.2%), with 37.3% reporting severe pain or worse. In total, 46.1% reported anxiety, 45.2% reported depression, 9.6% reported PTSD, and 63.0% reported social isolation. Depression was associated with chronic pain (r = 0.27, p < 0.001), and anxiety was correlated with social isolation (r = 0.26, p = 0.001). Over 72.0% of the patients felt misunderstood, and 65.1% lacked mental health referrals to receive appropriate counseling. Patients expressed that they did not believe their physician could understand or treat their condition, with 52.6% visiting at least two to four doctors before finding adequate care that met their unique needs.

SD imposes substantial mental health burden, with many patients experiencing anxiety, depression, or feelings of social isolation. Many patients reported challenges in finding specialty care. These findings suggest the need for further research to determine whether earlier diagnosis and integrated care could improve outcomes.