Anxiety, optimism and symptom reporting following surgery for acoustic neuroma

In this study, a sample of 141 patients operated on for acoustic neuroma tu mor were followed-up. The patients completed questionnaires on residual sym ptoms, hearing problems, anxiety, and optimism. Postoperative facial functi on was assessed by the treating physician. Multiple regression analyses sho wed that anxiety, age, and facial function were associated with symptom rep orting. Anxiety was also related to hearing problems. Optimism was not asso ciated with either symptoms or hearing problems. Results on the Beck Anxiet y Inventory showed that relatively few patients had a moderate degree of an xiety. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Inc.