United States – Even as suicide rates have risen among Americans generally, one group appears to be bucking that trend: The individuals affected by cancer.
This has been attributed to availability of counseling services as well as other forms of psychosocial care that enable patients minimize the psychological burden of cancer as well as prevent them from making the wrong decisions, as reported by HealthDay.
Still, cancer survivors face another war as a study from the National Cancer Center at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences shows that they are at a higher risk of committing suicide. In the current study conducted by Dr. Qiang Liu, he establishes that the suicide rate amongst cancer survivors is likely to be two times that of the general population in the United States. Specifically, men are more likely to be at risk than women, and this increased risk remains high even 15 years after being diagnosed with the disease.
Positive Trend
However, there is some good news to be seen in all this, as the following section reveals. Over the years there has been a general trend of a reduced annual incidence of suicide among the cancer patients. This decline may be a positive development in meeting the mental health needs of this population which may be attributed to improved management and enhanced use of psychosocial and supportive interventions, as reported by HealthDay.
Advancements in Care Delivery
Apart from the statistical changes, improvements in cancer care delivery have directly influenced the quality of life of cancer patients in a positive manner. The emphasis on psycho-oncology care, palliative care, and hospice services has also grown, which has, in turn, helped improve their delivery and availability. Moreover, the concept of integrated care delivery models like collaborative care has been a game changer in the management of cancer patients where the patient is managed holistically with psychological, sociological and physiological needs met.