KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The study aimed to investigate the lived mental health experiences of patients with colorectal cancer across the entire care continuum.
- Researchers noted that integrating mental health support could enhance patient well-being throughout CRC care.
Colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnosis is linked to significant physical stressors such as surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and often the creation of an ostomy. Patients with CRC frequently experience increased limitations in physical functioning, compared to the general population, including difficulties with housework, walking half a mile, or navigating stairs. While the physical impacts of CRC are well-documented, there has been growing interest in understanding the mental health effects of this diagnosis.
Vicki Cheng and the team aimed to assess the mental health experiences of patients with CRC and identify opportunities to integrate mental health support into the overall care framework.
They performed an inclusive analysis using a patient-oriented constructivist grounded theory design. English-speaking participants aged 18 and older, diagnosed with CRC within the last 10 years and residing in Canada, were recruited.
Data were collected through semi-structured individual interviews guided by a framework co-constructed with patient research partners. The data collection and analysis were iterative, involving theoretical sampling, and resulted in the development of a theoretical model.
About 28 participants diagnosed with CRC (18 females, 10 males), aged 18-63 years at the time of diagnosis, were interviewed, representing all CRC stages. Of these, 10 participants (36%) were in treatment, 12 participants (43%) were in follow-up, and 6 participants (21%) were in the beyond phase. A patient-oriented theory was developed to illustrate the dynamic relationship between self-identity and mental health experiences across the CRC care continuum.
These mental health experiences, including emotional and cognitive-behavioral responses, varied across phases. Additionally, mental health care experiences were influenced by barriers, facilitators, and individual contextual factors, which impacted access to care.
The study concluded that the developed theory offers valuable insights into the mental health experiences of patients with CRC throughout the care continuum. Understanding patients’ emotional and cognitive-behavioral responses, along with their care experiences, highlights opportunities to integrate mental health support into CRC care.
This study was sponsored by a Project Grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, “Examining the epidemiology, treatment, and outcomes in young-onset colorectal cancer” (Funding reference number: PJT-159467).
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39233669/
Cheng V, McTaggart-Cowan H, Loree JM, et al. (2024). “Mental health in people living with and beyond colorectal cancer: A patient-oriented constructivist grounded theory.” Cancer Med. 2024;13(17):e70203. doi:10.1002/cam4.70203
