Relationship between mental health disorder symptoms and negative cancer perceptions among U.S. adults

Abstract

Although much emphasis has been placed on the impact of ambiguity on cognitive processes, the impact of mental health disorder symptoms and racial/ethnic disparities in cancer perception of fatalism and ambiguity remains less explored. This study explored the association between mental health disorder symptoms and negative cancer perceptions. Also, we assessed differences in these outcomes within mental health disorder symptoms and racial/ethnic subgroups. MethodsWe used the 2019-2020 Health Information National Trends Survey data to assess the perception of cancer fatalism and cancer communication ambiguity, and employed weighted multivariable logistic regression to determine the effects of mental health disorder symptoms on these negative cancer perceptions. ResultsPeople with moderate [Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR)= 1.58, 95% Con dence Interval (CI)= 1.09, 2.31] and severe anxiety/depression (AOR= 1.88, 95% CI= 1.12, 3.14) symptoms were more likely to have cancer fatalism perceptions than people with no anxiety/depression symptoms. People with mild (AOR= 1.33, 95% CI= 1.06, 1.69) or severe (AOR= 1.80, 95% CI= 1.03, 3.16) anxiety/depression symptoms were more likely to perceive cancer communication as ambiguous compared to people who had no anxiety/depression symptoms. ConclusionsThe study showed that mental health status was associated with both cancer fatalism perception and perceived ambiguity in cancer recommendations. This suggests that interventions aimed at reducing mental health disorder symptoms may potentially reduce perceived cancer fatalism and communication ambiguity, thereby improving participation in cancer prevention programs. BackgroundCancer is recognized as the second leading cause of death in the United States (U.S.) [1]. It is projected that approximately 1.9 million new cancer diagnoses and 608,570 related deaths will occur in 2021 in the U.S. [2]. Additionally, nearly 1 in 3 Americans will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lifetime [3]. The prevalence of cancer in the U.S. has been increasing in the past few years due to reasons such as improvements in cancer treatment, population growth, increasing screening rates, and increasing life expectancy [4]. The rising cancer burden has contributed to an increase in the national cancer-related expenditure over the years. The estimated national expenditure for cancer care in the U.S. was $201 billion in 2020, up from $183 billion in 2015 [5]. This gure is projected to increase to 246 billion by 2030 (34% increase from 2015) [5]. The increasing cancer and associated nancial burden have not only impacted the physical and mental health of diagnosed people but also their families, communities, and society as a whole; making cancer a major public health concern [6].Several factors affect an individual's risk of morbidity and mortality from cancer. These include socioeconomic status (SES), race, gender, and lifestyle. Low SES, African American race, anxiety/depression, male gender, and smoking have been associated with increased morbidity and...