Presentation (CTI)

OBJECTIVES: Colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnosis is associated with increased mental health (MH) burdens and its incidence is increasing in younger adults. This study assessed the potential incremental impact of early onset CRC by evaluating the change in MH utilization pre- to post-CRC diagnosis based on age.
METHODS: Patients aged ≥20 newly diagnosed with CRC were identified in the Merative^TM MarketScan^® Commercial and Medicare Databases. The first CRC claim served as the index and patients had continuous eligibility with medical and MH benefits for 12-months prior and following. MH diagnoses (adjustment disorder, anxiety, depression), MH visits, and MH diagnosis-related costs were examined in the pre- and post-periods among patients aged 20-44, 45 to 64, or ≥65 years at diagnosis.
RESULTS: Analyses included 10,486 CRC patients (11.2% 20-44; 67.6% 45-64; 21.2% ≥65). Increased MH utilization was observed following CRC diagnosis; the magnitude of change decreased with increasing age. There was an increase in the prevalence of adjustment disorder (6.4%, 2.2%, and 1.8%), anxiety (16.5%, 12.1%, and 7.3%), and depression (9.7%, 7.3%, and 7.1%) pre- to post-CRC diagnosis in the 20-44, 45-64, and ≥65 groups respectively. Similarly, the proportion of patients with ≥1 MH visit increased 6.6% in the 20-44 group, 2.8% in the 45-64 group, and 2.2% in the ≥65 group. Mean MH diagnosis-related costs increased 15-fold ($778 to $11,960) in the 20-44 group following CRC diagnosis. A similar 13-fold cost increase ($659 to $8,346) was observed in the 45-64 year group, while a 6-fold increase ($709 to $4,098) was observed in the ≥65 group.
CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated a notable increase in MH burdens among patients newly diagnosed with CRC, especially in patients with early onset disease. Results highlight the need for integration mental healthcare into cancer care. Proactive provision of mental healthcare may help to both improve patient outcomes and reduce economic burdens.