Depression screening of cancer patients improves care: Study Latest Videos
News 24
As per new research, depression screening for patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer is said to be effective at identifying patients who need behavioural health care.
The study has been published in the 'JAMA Journal'. "Early identification and treatment for mental health issues is critical, yet depression and other mental health issues are often under-identified and undertreated in breast cancer patients," said the study's lead author, Erin E. Hahn, PhD, a research scientist with Kaiser Permanente Southern California Department of Research & Evaluation.
"Our study showed that the use of implementation strategies to facilitate depression screening is highly effective and provided insights into how to create a sustainable program to help our cancer patients achieve the best possible health," Hahn added.
It has been difficult historically to incorporate mental distress screening during cancer care when patients tend to be vulnerable to mental health challenges. Researchers from Kaiser Permanente in Southern California set out to determine if a process of incorporating depression screening into routine clinical care with support from researchers might make a difference.