Modern solutions, traditional views: psychiatric patients’ reactions to psychosurgery and neurosurgical treatment in a developing context

Abstract

Background
Psychosurgery is defined as “any surgical procedure that attempts to alter, through manipulation of neural tissue, a thought or thought process associated with a psychiatric disorder categorized in the DSM-IV, where no known structural lesion is causative.”


Aim
To assess the awareness of behavioral medicine and psychiatry clinic patients and their caregivers regarding the existence of surgical treatments for incurable psychiatric cases. This is the first study on this topic in Oman and the Gulf region.


Methods
A cross-sectional study using a 16-question questionnaire was distributed as a hard copy survey to two psychiatric centers in Oman from June 11 to July 17, 2020. The survey was distributed to 100 patients, with 44 completing it.


Results

Participants were aged 15 to 64 years (88%), with a male-to-female ratio of 1:1. Only 38.6% were aware that surgical treatments exist for psychological conditions. However, 93.2% expressed a desire for such treatment options to be available in Oman. Regarding willingness to undergo surgery, 31.8% agreed, 13.6% disagreed, and 29.5% remained neutral. Males were more likely to agree to surgery (39%), while females were more neutral regarding complications (33.3%) (
p
 = 0.037).



Conclusion
This study provides the first data from Oman—and, to our knowledge, the broader Gulf region—on public awareness and attitudes toward psychosurgery among psychiatric patients and their caregivers. Understanding psychiatric patients’ awareness of psychosurgery will assist neurosurgeons, patients, and caregivers in managing treatment-resistant cases in the region.