How Mental Health Disorders Are Related to Cancer Patients?

Feb 9, 2022 | Mental health, Nicole Saliba, Shermine Wardé

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By Nicole Saliba and Shermine Wardé

Edited by Sarah Hayek

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Reading Time:

2 minutes

Finding out you have cancer can have a big impact on a person’s life and their loved ones’ too. In addition to physical suffering, psychiatric disorders are increasingly recognized as major components of distress in patients with cancer.

These include:

Depression and anxiety: the most frequent conditions.
Post-traumatic stress disorder.
Chemo brain: it’s a term describing memory and thinking problems that can occur during and after the administration of cancer treatment.

Several factors contribute to psychological distress in this population:

The grief about current and anticipated losses.
Fear of death.
Concerns about loved ones.
The effect of certain chemotherapeutic drugs on mood.
The biology of malignancy.
Concerns about loved ones.
The effect of certain chemotherapeutic drugs on mood.
The biology of malignancy.

Facts and statistics:

Approximately 22-29% of patients with cancer will experience depression.
Rates of major depressive disorders are thought to be up to three times higher than in the general population.
Youth and young adults are at greater risk for depression and other conditions compared to adults.
Mental health problems have been linked to higher mortality rates in cancer patients.-Patients going through cancer treatment are at a 2-4 times greater risk of suicide than the general population.

Take action, Feel Better

Cancer patients have unique physical health needs, but they also have unique emotional and mental health requirements.

The emotional side of cancer, like dealing with the stress of a diagnosis, self-care during treatment, accessing sufficient financial resources, can affect the patient’s ability to cope and adhere to a treatment plan.

It’s important to recognize this emotional state and get help when needed.

How to cope?

Reach out
- Clinical and social workers as well as therapists are experts, trained to help on a one-time, short-term or long-term basis. Remember! reaching out is a sign of strength, not of weakness and not reaching for help doesn’t mean you are independent. Getting professional assistance will make you feel emotionally better.
Daily activities
- It always feels good to take care of yourself and plan interesting tasks and hobbies.
Plan ahead
- If you have plans you don’t want to miss, get some help from friends or family to make sure that everything is taken care of in advance while ensuring your transportation and avoiding last-minute scrambles, and don’t forget to do more research ahead of time. That way, you’ll lower your stress levels.
Find support that works for you
- It’s important and helpful to connect with others going through the same thing. It provides patients a chance to give and receive emotional support and learn from the experiences of others.
Collaborating with the oncology care team
- Communicate more effectively and ensure care coordination with all health care providers.
Have a consistent support system (friends, family…)
- Learn to accept their help. Accepting help gives those who care about you a sense of making a contribution at a difficult time.
Meditate, listen to music, podcasts, read books