Being a cancer survivor entails a great emotional impact. During PTL (Post Treatment Life), there is a transitional time called ‘remission’, when survivors may not feel quite like a “patient” anymore because they are no longer being treated for cancer. But, you may not feel confident enough that you are cured. Some survivors at high risk for recurrence may continue some form of treatment, called maintenance therapy. Common feelings during remission include feeling untethered, being in limbo, and living in a constant state of “watchful waiting”, or feeling anxious and fearful about recurrence.
There may be times when the joy you feel about survival far outweighs the anxieties you may have. On the other hand, there will be times when your fears and uncertainties seem to take over your life, and you wonder if you will ever feel normal again. Given this, it is not very hard to imagine how this affects one’s job/career, relationships, finances, and in turn, mental health… a vicious loop! Survivors need help with emotional support, including anxiety, depression, grief, and distress to adapt to life after cancer.
I have also been researching to quantify the impact this cancer-related emotional toll has on people/communities and our country as a whole. Although there are no studies directly highlighting the connection between cancer patients and economic impact, we can infer this connection based on readily available statistics (1, 2, 3).
- Rates of major depressive disorder within cancer patients are thought to be up to three times higher than in the general population.
- It is estimated that up to one-third of cancer survivors have a common mental health condition. Therefore, roughly in the last 5 years, 1.7 million cancer survivors suffered from a mental health condition.
- In the US, serious mental illness causes $193.2 billion/year, in lost earnings alone! Remember this doesn’t count all the direct and indirect health/productivity/quality-of-life costs.
You can start to see the huge impact the emotional toll of cancer survivors can play a role on our national economy! This is why it is important to provide accessible and trustworthy emotional support to cancer patients, as it will directly address these staggering effects.
The problem is, this type of help is very hard to get!
Many families are able to build their own support systems. However, unfortunately, many also go through this journey by themselves as they cannot afford to build a support system themselves or don’t know what kind of support is available.
Overall, the emotional toll of cancer survivorship extends far beyond the individual, affecting families, communities, and even the national economy. With mental health conditions disproportionately impacting cancer survivors, the need for accessible emotional support is more critical than ever. While some survivors are fortunate to have personal support systems, many navigate this challenging journey alone due to financial constraints or a lack of awareness about available resources. By prioritizing emotional support and making it more accessible, we can not only improve the quality of life for survivors but also alleviate the broader societal and economic impact of unaddressed mental health struggles.
Works Cited
- “Cancer and Mental Health.” Mental Health America, www.mhanational.org/cancer-and-mental-health. Accessed 9 Jan. 2024.
- The Lancet Global Health. “Mental Health Matters.” The Lancet Global Health, vol. 8, no. 11, Nov. 2020, p. 1352, https://doi.org/10.1016/s2214-109x(20)30432-0.
- “Mental Health By the Numbers.” National Alliance on Mental Health, Apr. 2023, www.nami.org/mhstats. Accessed 9 Jan. 2024.