Mental Health Treatment and Cancer Patients
- Annabelle Zhen
- Feb 14, 2021
- 2 min read
When one is diagnosed with cancer, mental health is a sensitive topic. Feelings of anxiety, fear, and hopelessness is extremely commonplace for cancer patients, most likely due to the sudden awareness of life and death. One in every three cancer patients are noted to have such feelings of depression or anxiety. A quarter of all cancer patients have depression, and half of all cancer patients have anxiety. Many cancer survivors also experience symptoms extremely similar to those with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder).
Although it may seem extremely taxing on an individual to have both mental illness and cancer, not all mental illness is noticed. Cancer and mental illness have many symptoms in common, such as fatigue, lack of sleep, and decreased appetite. As previously stated, this makes mental illness in cancer patients hard to diagnose. Stage 1 cancer is far easier to treat than stage 4 cancer, just like how anxiety is best treated the earlier it is caught.
Benefits of catching these mental illnesses earlier include higher survival rates, reduced stress, and higher quality of life in general for those being treated. A study has shown that when breast cancer patients participated in small psychologist-led sessions of therapy, 45% had a lower chance of their cancer returning, and 56% lower risk of dying from breast cancer.
All of these benefits should be enough for doctors to consider screening every cancer patient for cancer, but unfortunately that is simply the ideal situation. Realistically, many cancer patients are not able to test for mental illnesses, and when they do, they are not able to obtain proper treatment. An issue that stands is the team of cancer nurses and doctors themselves. Many of these caregivers are not able to recognize depression or anxiety right away, and if they do, they may not report it. A cancer diagnosis and its treatment seems significantly more important than mental illness, especially because many diagnoses are feared to be terminal. Mental illness does not seem as pressing as it should because although it does improve the quality of life, cancer treatment improves the chance of survival.
Currently, there are many resources and support services that may benefit cancer patients with mental illnesses. Some support services may include group therapy, counseling, effective communication with the oncology care team, and education about the diagnosis itself. By striking at the root of the problem, perhaps an educated patient may see their situation differently, and glimpse light in a dark tunnel. Many patients keep their mental health to themselves, which certainly makes their mental health worse.
It is important to remember, always have respect for those with cancer. Whether they do have mental illness or not, it is not a bad idea to consider one’s feelings and situation before deciding to comfort them. Cancer is not a solely physical battle, but a mental one as well. Loved ones and friends of a patient may also undergo mental battles. And so, it is essential to be kind. Do not be afraid to provide emotional strength for those who are not able to conjure their own, it is the least one is able to do.
Sources:
Comentarios