Cancer, mental disorders, suicidal ideation and attempts in a large community sample

Purpose: To determine the association between cancer diagnosis, mental disorders and suicidal behavior among community dwelling adults. Methods: Data were drawn from the nationally representative Canadian Community Health Survey Cycle 1.2 (N = 36 984, response rate 77%, age 15+). Respondents were grouped into three age groups (15-54, 55-74, and 75+ years), and multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between cancer and mental disorders: unadjusted and adjusted for sociodemographics, social supports and other mental disorders. Results: Among respondents aged 15-54, cancer was associated with increased odds of major depression (odds ratio [OR] = 3.18; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.69-5.96), panic attacks (OR = 2.15; 95% CI: 1.22-3.77) and any mental disorder. Among respondents aged 55-75, cancer was associated with increased odds of agoraphobia (OR = 5.94; 95% CI: 1.68-21.03) and decreased odds of social phobia (OR = 0.22; 95% CI: 0.06-0.80). Cancer was not associated with any mental disorder in the 75+ age group. Results persisted after adjustments for the covariates. Suicidal ideation was associated with cancer in the 55-74 age group (OR = 5.07; 95% CI: 1.25-20.47) in unadjusted models; however, this relationship became non-significant when adjusting for the other covariates. Conclusion: Clinicians should consider screening for depression and panic disorder in young, community dwelling patients with cancer.