If surviving cancer is not difficult enough, too often depression can follow - under certain circumstances. A new study led by Vinay K. Cheruvu, Ph.D., biostatistician in 鶹ý’s College of Public Health, found that depression in some cancer survivors is linked to both care and financial concerns.
In Cancer Today, Cheruvu says that there are ways to reach out to survivors who are depressed. “Screening, ideally at the time of diagnosis, is the necessary first step,” Cheruvu said. The problem is “physicians often don’t conduct these screenings.” In addition, he says, “both patients and providers are reluctant to bring it up.” Yet it is only by identifying those patients and helping them get more information “that they are more likely to seek out mental health services.”