Study: Hispanic, Black Patients Suffer More Mental Health Distress

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screeningHispanic and African American cancer patients suffered more mental health distress than non-Hispanic white patients, according to a new study, VoxxiNews reports.

The study, led by Héctor E Alcalá of UCLA, linked increased mental health stress to household income, as a cancer diagnosis is known to “erode finances.”

The VoxxiNews report cites two older studies with similar findings:

In 2008, data indicated economic stress for low-income women with cancer significantly impacted quality of life; functional, emotional, physical, social-family well-being, depression and anxiety scores were all worse for women who had economic stress while dealing with their cancer burden. The women in the 2008 study were primarily Hispanic, though ethnicity was not a factor in that particular study.

A similar study involving low-income Hispanic families found evidence of an association between depression and negative family interaction among depressed cancer patients. Unlike the 2008 study, this research was focused on how the results of stress hurt cancer patients rather than how economic factors came into play. Experts found depression among cancer patients triggers stressful interpersonal events that contribute to poor family interactions and additional depression.

The studies warrant additional efforts to bolster financial and psychosocial coping resources among Hispanics and African Americans, researchers suggest.

“This is especially important given the lower odds that minorities with advanced cancer have of receiving mental health services,” the researchers conclude. “As such, access mental health services in these groups should be promoted.”

By The Numbers By The Numbers

25.1

percent

of Latinos remain without health insurance coverage

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