Examining Factors Associated with Depressive Severity Among Cancer Survivors

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From R/Medicine 2025

Full title: Examining Factors Associated with Depressive Severity Among Cancer Survivors: An Analysis of the National Health Interview Survey

This study explores the factors linked to heightened severity of depressive symptoms in individuals who have self-reported a cancer diagnosis, utilizing data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). A cancer diagnosis often brings significant psychological distress, making it essential to understand the correlates of depression within this group to guide targeted interventions and enhance patient well-being.

This analysis focuses on a subgroup of NHIS participants who reported a cancer diagnosis, investigating the connection between depressive symptoms, as assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire-8 (PHQ-8), and various demographic characteristics (e.g., age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, poverty), healthcare utilization patterns (e.g., delayed visits, emergency room visits, overnight hospitalization), and other factors (e.g., living alone, anxiety symptoms).

The study utilizes a data-driven approach to explore the predictors of depressive symptom severity. By leveraging a nationally representative sample, we investigate the associations between depressive severity and various demographic, health care utilization, and other factors.

Using various R packages for data processing and analysis, descriptive statistics and survey-based regression are employed to identify significant correlates of heightened depression symptoms. Interaction terms will be considered to determine whether the relationship between certain factors and depression differs across various subgroups (e.g., by age, race/ethnicity, or gender, if data permits).

This study highlights the importance of large-scale public health datasets in elucidating the psychosocial challenges faced by patients who report having cancer. It underscores the need to integrate mental health considerations into cancer care. The findings aim to guide clinical decision-making and direct the development of precision mental health interventions within oncology settings.

Resources

R/Medicine: https://rconsortium.github.io/RMedicine_website/
R Consortium: https://www.r-consortium.org/
Category
Oncology
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