Mental health care should be a bigger part of treatment for people with bladder cancer, according to a recent review published in the journal Urology Annals.
Many cancer patients feel psychological distress. This means they may feel very worried, sad or stressed. Depression and anxiety are common problems, but they are often not given enough attention. These mental health challenges can make it harder for patients to follow their treatment plans. They can also lead to longer hospital stays and may even affect survival.
To better understand this issue in people with bladder cancer, researchers reviewed 16 studies of bladder cancer patients, totaling 96,175 people. The results showed that anxiety was found in 7% to 38.3% of patients. Depression was found in 6.9% to 42.8% of patients. Both anxiety and depression often became worse after treatment.
The studies also showed other mental health issues. Many patients had trouble sleeping. Others developed different psychiatric disorders after treatment. These problems can lower a patient’s quality of life and make recovery more difficult.
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The good news is that mental health support can help. Some studies showed that counseling and support services improved how patients felt. Talking with a mental health professional, joining support groups and receiving emotional care made a positive difference.
Even so, mental health checks and treatments are still not common in many clinical guidelines. The review suggests that doctors should regularly screen patients for anxiety and depression. It also recommends using proven treatments like structured counseling and team-based mental health care.
“Integrating mental health services into urological oncology practice and policy can improve patient well-being, enhance treatment compliance, and ultimately optimize the clinical outcomes,” said the review’s authors. “Future guidelines should prioritize mental health screening and intervention as the essential components of comprehensive bladder cancer management.”
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