Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2015 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT : Worldwide there are various reports on the prevalence of depression in patients diagnosed with brain tumours. In South Africa, psychological research in relation to psychiatric symptoms among patients with brain tumours is lacking. The aims of this study were to determine the incidence of depression in patients diagnosed with brain tumours and to clarify our understanding of the relationship between depression and tumour localisation, histopathological type of tumour, and participant characteristics. The study sample consisted of 35 patients (11 males and 24 females) aged between 21 and 64 years with a solitary primary brain tumour. The patients were treated at the neurosurgery clinics located at Tygerberg Hospital in the Western Cape and Universitas Hospital in the Free State between mid-2010 and 2013. The major histological subgroup consisted of meningiomas (47%), glioblastomas (22%), astrocytomas (19%), gliomas (9%) and epidiomas (3%). The tumour distribution was as follows: 52% in the left hemisphere, 37% in the right hemisphere, and 11 % in the midline. The psychiatric symptoms of the patients were assessed before treatment by the Beck Depression Inventory and Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview. In addition, the patients’ neuropsychological functions were evaluated by a short neuropsychological test battery (Mini Mental State Examination, Trail Making Test (Part A), Letter Number Sequencing subtest, Hopkins Verbal Learning Test – Revised, and Brief Visuospatial Memory Test – Revised). Results from the quantitative data, showed the prevalence of mild depression was 26% for men and 43% for women. Overall 37% of the total sample had depressive symptoms. No significant relationship was found between depression and tumour location or between the various neuropsychological characteristics and neurological symptoms and tumour location. The study showed that depression is a common symptom in patients diagnosed with brain tumours and therefore depression symptoms have to be recognised and treated by psycho-educating the patients and their families, pharmacotherapy, or psychotherapy as soon as possible. However, due to the relatively small sample size, the results are of limited generalisability. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Wêreldwyd is daar verskeie verslae oor die voorkoms van depressie in pasiënte gediagnoseer met breingewasse. In Suid-Afrika is daar ’n tekort aan sielkundige navorsing met betrekking tot psigiatriese simptome by pasiënte. Die doel van hierdie studie was om die voorkoms van depressie te bepaal in pasiënte gediagnoseer met breingewasse en om duidelikheid te kry oor die verband tussen depressie en die ligging van breingewasse, histopatologiese tipe gewas en karakter eienskappe van die deelnemers. Die steekproef van die studie het bestaan uit 35 pasiënte (11 mans en 24 vroue) tussen die ouderdomme 21 en 64 jaar met ‘n soliede breingewas. Die pasiënte is behandel by die neurochirurgiese klinieke by Tygerberg Hospitaal in die Wes-Kaap en by Universitas Hospitaal in die Vrystaat vanaf middel 2010 tot 2013. Die mees algemene histologiese subgroep het bestaan uit meningiome (47%), glioblastomas (22%), astrocytomas (19%), gliomas (9%) en epidiomas (3%). Die verspreiding van die gewasse was soos volg: 52% in die linkerhemisfeer, 37% in die regterhemisfeer en 11% in die middel. Die psigiatriese simptome van die pasiënte is voor behandeling geëvalueer met behulp van die Beck Depression Inventory en die Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview. Bykomend is die pasiënte se neurosielkundige funksies geëvalueer met behulp van ‘n neurosielkundige toetsbattery (Mini Mental State Examination, Trail Making Test (Part A), Letter Number Sequencing subtest, Hopkins Verbal Learning Test – Revised en Brief Visuospatial Memory Test – Revised). Die resultate van die kwantitatiewe data het getoon die voorkoms van matige depressie was 26% vir mans en 43% vir vroue. In geheel het 37% van die totale steekproef depressiewe simptome getoon. Daar was geen beduidende verhouding tussen depressie en die ligging van die gewas of tussen die verskeie neurosielkundige eienskappe en die ligging van die gewas nie. Die studie het getoon dat depressie ’n algemene simptoom is in pasiënte gediagnoseer met breingewasse en daarom moet depressiewe simptome herken en so gou as moontlik behandel word deur psigo-opvoeding van die pasiënte en hul familie, farmakoterapie of psigoterapie. As gevolg van die relatiewe klein steekproef grootte het die resultate ’n beperkte veralgemeenbaarheid.