Cancer survivors are more likely than the general population to use medications for depression and anxiety, but access to these treatments varies widely by demographics, insurance status, and cancer type, according to a new study.
Nosayaba Osazuwa-Peters, PhD, associate professor of head and neck surgery and population health sciences at Duke University School of Medicine, was senior author of the study published recently in JAMA.
Analyzing data from more than 53,000 U.S. adults, researchers found:
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Cancer survivors overall had higher use of antidepressants and anxiolytics
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Non-Hispanic Black survivors were less likely than white survivors to use these medications.
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Survivors with Medicare or Medicaid reported greater use than those with private insurance, while uninsured individuals were least likely to receive treatment.
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Survivors of brain and pancreatic cancers reported higher use than those with breast cancer.
Osazuwa-Peters said the findings underscore the need to integrate mental health into survivorship care and ensure access. “If we want survivors to live well, we must make mental health support available to everyone,” he said.