Psychological and social risk factors and mental health interventions in tuberculous meningitis: A research progress

Table 1 Key research findings on psychosocial risk factors and interventions in tuberculous meningitis

Category	Key findings	Ref.
Psychosocial risk factors
Socioeconomic status	Low socioeconomic status correlates with delayed diagnosis and treatment abandonment. Patients from low-income backgrounds report higher psychological stress (e.g., anxiety)	[5,16,23]
Social support deficiency	65% of tuberculous meningitis patients with limited family support develop moderate-severe depression (vs 22% in well-supported groups). Stigma-driven social isolation reduces treatment adherence	[12,16,20]
Disease severity and sequelae	32% of pediatric tuberculous meningitis survivors experience long-term neurological sequelae (cognitive/motor impairments). Neurological deficits (e.g., paralysis) increase anxiety/depression risk	[12,16,24]
Effective interventions
Cognitive behavioral therapy	Reduces anxiety/depression symptoms by 40%-60% in low-resource settings. Group cognitive behavioral therapy enhances social support and cost-effectiveness	[33,34]
Digital interventions	72% of rural tuberculous meningitis patients accessed remote support via mobile apps during coronavirus disease 2019. Challenges: Low digital literacy (58%), unstable internet	[37,55]
Integrated pharmaco-psychological therapy	Antidepressants + psychotherapy synergistically improve mood symptoms. Caution: Rifampicin reduces antidepressant efficacy (drug interaction)	[12,20,23]
Community/peer support	Peer groups reduce loneliness and improve coping strategies. Community education reduces stigma, increases early care-seeking	[47,49,65]