Mental Health Utilization Increased Around Time of Prostate Cancer Diagnosis

Follow Drugslib on

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com.

By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, Aug. 16, 2024 -- There is an increase in psychotropic medication use and mental health service use around the time of prostate cancer diagnosis, according to a study published online July 3 in Psycho-Oncology.

Tenaw Tiruye, Ph.D., from the University of South Australia in Adelaide, and colleagues used registry data linked to Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and Medicare Benefits Schedule data for 13,693 prostate cancer patients diagnosed between 2012 and 2020 to estimate the proportion and rates of psychotropic medication and mental health service use before and after diagnosis.

The researchers found that 15 percent of men started psychotropic medications and 6.4 percent sought out mental health services for the first time after diagnosis. From five years before to five years after diagnosis, psychotropic medication use rose from 34.5 to 40.3 percent, including an increase in use of antidepressants (from 20.7 to 26.0 percent) and anxiolytics (from 11.3 to 12.8 percent). The mental health service use increase (from 10.2 to 12.1 percent) occurred mostly from general practice mental health visits (from 7.8 to 10.6 percent). A significant rise in medication and service utilization immediately before and in the first two years following prostate cancer diagnosis was revealed in interrupted time series analyses.

"Mental health outcomes of men with prostate cancer may be improved with early mental health screening, particularly during the diagnosis process, to enable early intervention," the authors write.

Abstract/Full Text

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

Source: HealthDay

Posted : 2024-08-17 01:15

Read more

Disclaimer

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Drugslib.com is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Drugslib.com information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Drugslib.com does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Drugslib.com's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Drugslib.com's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners.

The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Drugslib.com does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Drugslib.com provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

Popular Keywords