The National Cancer Institute (Inca) presents its 10 key actions and commitments in the great mental health cause. Objectives: Better take into account the mental health of patients at all stages of the oncological route and reduce inequalities. Several of them aim to detect and take care of cancers in people with psychiatric disorders.
The links between mental health and cancer appear on two levels: on the one hand, mental disorders can complicate the access of people concerned to prevention, screening and cancer care; On the other hand, cancer itself can alter or degrade the mental health of patients, but also of their loved ones.
The Inca recalls figures:
– the cancer mortality rate in people followed for a psychiatric disorder is twice as high as in general population;
– Participation in colorectal cancer screening : Only 18.6 % of people living with a severe mental disorder participated in this screening in the 12 months preceding the first treatment of cancer against 30 % in general population;
– 1/3 of patients report an impairment of their mental health 5 years after cancer, or 32.5%.
Ces 10 points clés visent à :
– sensibiliser et former les professionnels de l’oncologie et de la psychiatrie ;
– simplifier l’accès au dépistage des personnes vivant avec un trouble mental ;
– adapter les parcours de soins ;
– rendre l’information accessible à tous ;
– renforcer le suivi psychologique des personnes atteintes ou guéries d’un cancer ;
– améliorer la détection des fragilités psychiques chez les patients atteints de cancer ;
– accompagner la transition après les traitements ;
– mieux prendre en compte les besoins des proches aidants ;
– développer la recherche en psycho-oncologie ;
– soutenir la recherche en sciences humaines et sociales, épidémiologie et santé publique.
• Learn more on the Inca website
See the document below the ten key actions “mental health and cancer”
