Prevalence and correlates of mental health problems in prostate cancer survivors: A case-control study comparing survivors with general population peers

Marie-Anne van Stam; Henk G van der Poel; J L H Ruud Bosch; Corinne N Tillier; Simon Horenblas; Floor Mols; Neil K Aaronson

doi:10.1016/j.urolonc.2017.03.028

Prevalence and correlates of mental health problems in prostate cancer survivors: A case-control study comparing survivors with general population peers

Urol Oncol. 2017 Aug;35(8):531.e1-531.e7. doi: 10.1016/j.urolonc.2017.03.028. Epub 2017 Apr 27.

Authors

Marie-Anne van Stam¹, Henk G van der Poel², J L H Ruud Bosch³, Corinne N Tillier², Simon Horenblas², Floor Mols⁴, Neil K Aaronson⁵

Affiliations

¹ Urology Department, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands; Urology Department, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
² Urology Department, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
³ Urology Department, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
⁴ Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, Social and Behavioural Sciences, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands.
⁵ Division of Psychosocial Research & Epidemiology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: n.aaronson@nki.nl.

PMID: 28457651
DOI: 10.1016/j.urolonc.2017.03.028

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with mental health (MH) problems in prostate cancer (PC) survivors. Toward this end, we evaluated (1) differences in the prevalence of MH problems between PC survivors and age-matched men from the general population (GenPop) and (2) correlates of MH in PC survivors and the GenPop.

Methods and materials: In this observational case-control study, we age-matched PC survivors (n = 644, alive≥5y after diagnosis of a stage I-IV carcinoma) recruited from Dutch community hospitals (Patient Reported Outcomes Following Initial treatment and Long-term Evaluation of Survivorship registry) with GenPop peers (n = 644) selected from a population-based sample recruited in general practices (NIVEL). MH was operationalized using the 5-item Mental Health Inventory of the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). Potential correlates of MH included sociodemographic characteristics, health-related quality of life scores, and clinical characteristics (PC survivors only). We used analysis of (co)variance and chi-square tests to address the 2 research questions.

Results: We observed clinically relevant MH symptoms in 14% of the PC survivors and 6% of the GenPop controls (P<0.01, odds ratio = 2.45 [1.66-3.62]). The most important correlates of lower MH scores in the PC survivors were being widowed, a lower educational level, lower general health perceptions, more bodily pain and urinary bother, and less sexual satisfaction. The most important correlates of lower MH scores in the GenPop were as follows: lower general health perceptions, more role limitations because of physical problems, and more bodily pain.

Conclusions: Our results indicate that long-term PC survivors have poorer MH, as assessed by the 5-item Mental Health Inventory questionnaire, than men of a comparable age from the GenPop without a history of PC. Attention to potentially modifiable factors associated with MH problems in PC survivors, such as urinary function and its related bother, bodily pain, and sexual satisfaction, may help to prevent or limit MH problems in this survivor population.

Keywords: Cancer; Correlates; General population comparison; Mental health; Prostate cancer survivors.

Publication types

Comparative Study
Observational Study

MeSH terms

Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Cancer Survivors / psychology*
Case-Control Studies
Humans
Male
Mental Health
Middle Aged
Prevalence
Prostatic Neoplasms / psychology*
Quality of Life / psychology*