Cancer does not just affect your body, it can also affect your mind and many people will experience significant changes to their emotional health. Finding out you have cancer can have a big impact on a person and their loved ones; and feelings of depression, anxiety and fear are common. But it is important to remember that there is hope and help available and many cases of mental illness can be treated. Even though a person with depression may also have cancer, it does not mean their depression is any less treatable.

Everyone knows it is better to catch cancer earlier, at stage one instead of later at stage four. The same is true for mental health conditions. Unfortunately, many people with cancer are never told about the chance they will develop a mental health condition like depression nor will they receive treatment for it.

How Many People With Cancer Have A Mental Health Condition ?

1 It is estimated that up to one-third of people treated for cancer in hospitals have a common mental health condition.

2 Rates of major depressive disorder are thought to be up to three times higher than in the general population.

3 Anywhere from 8-24% of people with cancer are also living with depression.

4 Youth and young adults are at greater risk for depression and other conditions compared to adults with cancer.

Barriers To Care ;

There are several reasons why a person with cancer may not get help for their mental health condition :

Cancer, depression and anxiety have shared symptoms like fatigue, lack of sleep, and decreased appetite which can make recognizing mental health conditions difficult. This is a group that regularly faces threats to life and figuring out what is a regular reaction to cancer diagnosis and treatment versus signs one has a mental health condition can be hard.

Read more - https://www.mhanational.org/cancer-and-mental-health