Key result
In cancer patients, the presence of a psychiatric disorder was associated with increased mental health care utilization (IRR 1.63) and costs (OR 3.11).
Why the study?
Are psychiatric disorders and psychological distress associated with increased health care utilization and costs in cancer patients?
Cross-Sectional (n=245)
Yes
Are psychiatric disorders and psychological distress associated with increased health care utilization and costs in cancer patients?
In cancer patients, psychiatric disorders and psychological distress are associated with increased mental and complementary health care utilization and costs.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
May support psychiatric screening to anticipate higher utilization in cancer; leaves open whether intervention reduces costs.
OBJECTIVE: The mental burden of cancer might elicit additional health care utilization. However, it is unclear how psychiatric disorder and psychological distress relate to health care utilization. Therefore, this study explores associations between psychiatric disorder, psychological distress, and health care utilization. It was hypothesized that presence of psychiatric disorder and psychological distress was associated with increased health care utilization and costs. METHODS: The current study consisted of secondary analyses of baseline data of a larger randomized controlled trial. Two hundred forty-five mixed-cancer patients with at least mild symptoms of psychological distress (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-T ≥ 11) were mainly recruited via online media, participating centers and patient associations. Patients were assessed with Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-TR Axis I Disorders (SCID-I) for depressive, anxiety, and/or adjustment disorder. Psychological distress was measured by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Retrospective self-reported health care utilization in the past 3 months was collected. Associations between predictors and health care utilization in terms of incidence rate ratios (IRR) and costs per category (mental, primary, somatic, and complementary) were assessed by negative binomial, logistic, and gamma regression. RESULTS: Eighty-nine (36.3%) patients suffered from psychiatric disorder, which was associated with mental health care utilization (IRR = 1.63) and costs (OR = 3.11). We observed a nonsignificant trend of somatic health care utilization in patients with psychiatric disorder. Psychological distress was associated with mental health care utilization (IRR = 1.09) and costs (OR = 1.09). Psychological distress was also associated with complementary health care utilization (IRR = 1.03). CONCLUSION: Psychiatric disorder and psychological distress were associated with mental health care use and costs. Psychological distress was associated with complementary health care use. Adequate assessment and referral to mental health care might prevent unnecessary health care utilization.
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Compen et al. (2017) conducted a cross-sectional in Cancer with psychological distress (n=245). Psychiatric disorder and psychological distress was evaluated on Mental health care utilization and costs (IRR 1.63). In cancer patients, the presence of a psychiatric disorder was associated with increased mental health care utilization (IRR 1.63) and costs (OR 3.11).
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