Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis and Mental Health Disorders: A Narrative Review of the Literature
Ioanna Mitsiaki,
Athanasios Thirios,
Eleni Panagouli,
Flora Bacopoulou,
Dimitris Pasparakis,
Theodora Psaltopoulou,
Theodoros N. Sergentanis,
Artemis Tsitsika
Affiliations
Ioanna Mitsiaki
MSc Program “Strategies of Developmental and Adolescent Health”, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 115 27 Athens, Greece
Athanasios Thirios
MSc Program “Strategies of Developmental and Adolescent Health”, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 115 27 Athens, Greece
Eleni Panagouli
MSc Program “Strategies of Developmental and Adolescent Health”, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 115 27 Athens, Greece
Flora Bacopoulou
Center for Adolescent Medicine and UNESCO Chair Adolescent Health Care, First Department of Pediatrics, “Agia Sophia” Children’s Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 115 27 Athens, Greece
Dimitris Pasparakis
Pediatric Orthopaedic Department, Athens Medical Center, 151 25 Athens, Greece
Theodora Psaltopoulou
Department of Clinical Therapeutics, “Alexandra” Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 115 28 Athens, Greece
Theodoros N. Sergentanis
MSc Program “Strategies of Developmental and Adolescent Health”, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 115 27 Athens, Greece
Artemis Tsitsika
MSc Program “Strategies of Developmental and Adolescent Health”, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 115 27 Athens, Greece
Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is the most common type of scoliosis. The condition begins in puberty, affects 1–4% of adolescents, and disproportionately affects young women. Our aim was to comprehensively examine the association between AIS and risk for depression, anxiety, eating disorders, psychotic disorders, and personality dysfunctional mechanisms. Methods: Literature review of related articles published in PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus up to 15 July 2021. Results: A total of 30 studies were deemed eligible, examining the effects of AIS upon mental health, and using appropriate psychometric inventories. Studies highlighted the association of brace treatment with elevated anxiety. In addition, mental health conditions and traits (e.g., anxiety and depressive symptoms, neuroticism) were detected more frequently amongst AIS patients compared to healthy controls. Conclusions: AIS represents a risk factor for mental health disorders. More longitudinal studies, utilizing accurate psychometric instruments, are warranted, to reveal the current impact of AIS on the mental health of youngsters, along with the tailoring of well-targeted interventions to reduce the burden of mental health issues in adulthood.
