IN SICKNESS AND IN HEALTH: MENTAL HEALTH BURDENS IN COLORECTAL CANCER PATIENTS AND THEIR SPOUSES
Author(s)
Brenna Brady, PhD, Liisa A Palmer, PhD.
MarketScan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
MarketScan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
OBJECTIVES: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is associated with increased mental health (MH) burdens, especially in younger patients. This analysis evaluated impacts of CRC diagnosis on the MH burdens of patients and their spouses to understand the influence of diagnosis on families.
METHODS: Patients aged ≥20 newly diagnosed with CRC who had a spouse covered on the same insurance plan were identified in the MarketScan® Commercial and Medicare Databases. Index for patients and spouses was the patient’s first CRC claim; eligibility with medical and MH benefits was required for 12-months prior and following. The percent with MH diagnoses (adjustment disorder, anxiety, depression) and MH office visits were reported pre- and post-diagnosis for patients and spouses based on patient age at diagnosis (20-44, 45-64, or ≥65 years).
RESULTS: Analyses included 14,047 patient/spouse pairs; 9.1%, 60.8%, and 30.1% of patients were aged 20-44, 45-64, or ≥65 at diagnosis respectively. Mean age of patients and spouses were similar. Pre-diagnosis rates of MH diagnoses and office visits were similar between patients and spouses; post-diagnosis, patients saw greater increases in MH burdens with the largest impacts in younger individuals. Anxiety increased the most at 14.5%, 8.4%, and 5.2% for patients and 3.6%, 2.1%, and 2.0% for spouses across age groups. Patients consistently had larger increases in depression (4.6%-7.9%) than adjustment disorder (1.2%-5.2%). Spouses 20-44 had greater increases in adjustment disorder than depression (3.4% vs 0.9%), while spouses ≥65 had increased depression than adjustment disorder (1.8% vs. 0.3%). MH office visits increased 12.5%, 6.0%, and 4.0% for patients and 4.5%, 2.3%, and 2.2% for spouses respectively across age groups.
CONCLUSIONS: CRC is associated with increased MH burdens in patients and spouses, with greater burdens observed in younger individuals. MH impacts in spouses show differential trends across age groups highlighting the nuances of potential long-term caregiving requirements or death of a spouse.
METHODS: Patients aged ≥20 newly diagnosed with CRC who had a spouse covered on the same insurance plan were identified in the MarketScan® Commercial and Medicare Databases. Index for patients and spouses was the patient’s first CRC claim; eligibility with medical and MH benefits was required for 12-months prior and following. The percent with MH diagnoses (adjustment disorder, anxiety, depression) and MH office visits were reported pre- and post-diagnosis for patients and spouses based on patient age at diagnosis (20-44, 45-64, or ≥65 years).
RESULTS: Analyses included 14,047 patient/spouse pairs; 9.1%, 60.8%, and 30.1% of patients were aged 20-44, 45-64, or ≥65 at diagnosis respectively. Mean age of patients and spouses were similar. Pre-diagnosis rates of MH diagnoses and office visits were similar between patients and spouses; post-diagnosis, patients saw greater increases in MH burdens with the largest impacts in younger individuals. Anxiety increased the most at 14.5%, 8.4%, and 5.2% for patients and 3.6%, 2.1%, and 2.0% for spouses across age groups. Patients consistently had larger increases in depression (4.6%-7.9%) than adjustment disorder (1.2%-5.2%). Spouses 20-44 had greater increases in adjustment disorder than depression (3.4% vs 0.9%), while spouses ≥65 had increased depression than adjustment disorder (1.8% vs. 0.3%). MH office visits increased 12.5%, 6.0%, and 4.0% for patients and 4.5%, 2.3%, and 2.2% for spouses respectively across age groups.
CONCLUSIONS: CRC is associated with increased MH burdens in patients and spouses, with greater burdens observed in younger individuals. MH impacts in spouses show differential trends across age groups highlighting the nuances of potential long-term caregiving requirements or death of a spouse.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2026-11, ISPOR Europe 2026, Vienna, Austria
Value in Health, Volume 29, Issue 12S
Code
CO157
Topic
Clinical Outcomes, Real World Data & Information Systems
Topic Subcategory
Clinical Outcomes Assessment
Disease
Mental Health (including addiction), Oncology