Cancer, mental disorders, suicidal ideation and attempts in a large community sample

Purpose : To determine the association between cancer diagnosis, mental disorders and suicidal behavior among community dwelling adults. Methods : Data were drawn from the nationally representative Canadian Community Health Survey Cycle 1.2 ( N =36 984, response rate 77%, age 15+). Respondents were grouped into three age groups (15–54, 55–74, and 75+ years), and multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between cancer and mental disorders: unadjusted and adjusted for sociodemographics, social supports and other mental disorders. Results : Among respondents aged 15–54, cancer was associated with increased odds of major depression (odds ratio [OR]=3.18; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.69–5.96), panic attacks (OR=2.15; 95% CI: 1.22–3.77) and any mental disorder. Among respondents aged 55–75, cancer was associated with increased odds of agoraphobia (OR=5.94; 95% CI: 1.68–21.03) and decreased odds of social phobia (OR=0.22; 95% CI: 0.06–0.80). Cancer was not associated with any mental disorder in the 75+ age group. Results persisted after adjustments for the covariates. Suicidal ideation was associated with cancer in the 55–74 age group (OR=5.07; 95% CI: 1.25–20.47) in unadjusted models; however, this relationship became non‐significant when adjusting for the other covariates. Conclusion : Clinicians should consider screening for depression and panic disorder in young, community dwelling patients with cancer. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.