Study reveals how Cancer patients are more prone to mental illness during COVID pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has been blamed for causing distress across the globe, be it the plummeting economies of countries or over four million deaths reported worldwide. But the one problem that has been screened under the aforementioned issues of COVID-19 are cases of psychological distress. 

A recent study reported that individuals with pre-existing health conditions such as cancer were more likely to report depressive symptoms during the pandemic.

Half of the participants found affected

Data of the study which was published in the journal Lancet Regional Health-Americas, reported that almost half (42%) of the participants from the US complained of at least mild psychological distress during the pandemic, whereas 10% of participants were diagnosed with moderate to severe psychological distress.

The study, led by Corinne Leach, senior principal scientist at American Cancer Society, used data from the American Cancer Study's Cancer Prevention Study-3 (CPS-3) from 2018 and July-September 2020, to characterize levels of psychological distress among American men and women during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Moreover, the study also identified factors associated with increased depression and anxiety during the pandemic, including socio-demographic characteristics, stressors, and comorbid conditions associated with increased risk for severe COVID-19 outcomes. Apart from this, a secondary focus examined the association of these factors with longitudinal change in psychological distress.

According to the data, individuals with financial stress such as loss of employment and reduced compensation, or work/life balance stress such as caregiving responsibilities, were found to have escalated psychological distress during the pandemic. The report further suggested that adults continued to experience psychological distress beyond the initial lockdown period.

These depressing results support the importance of regular mental health assessment and subsequent mental health support among those having a history of mental health issues. According to ANI's report, the authors said that the COVID-19 pandemic has created several learning opportunities for how to improve population mental health during and after pandemics, natural disasters, or other life-altering events.

They stated that regular mental health assessment by healthcare professionals is needed to provide better support for those at risk of anxiety and depression. They further said that this data from the American Cancer Study's CPS-3 will help clinicians identify people vulnerable to persistent mental health and other long-term issues to provide early medical support.

(IMAGE: UNSPLASH)