New Focus on Long-term Mental Health of Patients Who Survive Serious Illness
Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text.
- KEYWORDS:
- CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES
- FATIGUE
- MENTAL HEALTH
- NEOPLASMS
- RISK FACTORS
- STRESS, PSYCHOLOGICAL
- SURVIVORS
Although studies show an increased risk of mental health problems quickly emerges among patients who undergo successful interventions for a life-threatening condition, many clinicians believe most issues resolve over time. But studies are being published showing that for some patients, such problems may persist or emerge years later.
Researchers say it is difficult to pinpoint mental health illnesses to events years in the past because other factors surface in a patient's life that can also cause distress. And even if a mental health issue can be tied to the past, the question emerges: “What can be done about it?”
Age, educational status, health insurance coverage, and other factors affect the likelihood that a survivor of adult-onset cancer will experience serious long-term psychological distress.
Research published in July suggests that long-term survivors of adult-onset cancer are at increased risk for psychological distress. The study, involving 4712 long-term cancer survivors and 124 653 …
