Citation

Hyer JM, Kelly EP, Paredes AZ, Tsilimigras DI, Diaz A, Pawlik TM. Am. J. Surg. 2021; 222(1): 126-132.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.amjsurg.2020.10.028

PMID

33268055

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Mental illness and depression can be associated with increased risk of suicidal ideation (SI). We sought to determine the association between mental illness and SI among cancer surgical patients.
METHODS: Medicare beneficiaries who underwent resection of lung, esophageal, pancreatic, colon, or rectal cancer were analyzed. Patients were categorized as no mental illness, anxiety and/or depression disorders or bipolar/schizophrenic disorders.
RESULTS: Among 211,092 Medicare beneficiaries who underwent surgery for cancer, the rate of suicidal ideation was 270/100,000 patients. Antecedent mental health diagnosis resulted in a marked increased SI. On multivariable analysis, patients with anxiety alone (OR 1.49, 95%CI 1.04-2.14), depression alone (OR 2.60, 95%CI 1.92-3.38), anxiety + depression (OR 4.50, 95%CI 3.48-5.86), and bipolar/schizophrenia (OR 7.30, 95%CI 5.27-10.30) had increased odds of SI.
CONCLUSIONS: Roughly 1 in 370 Medicare beneficiaries with cancer who underwent a wide range of surgical procedures had SI. An antecedent mental health diagnosis was a strong risk factor for SI.

Language: en

Keywords

Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Anxiety Disorders; Bipolar Disorder; Cancer; Cohort Studies; Depressive Disorder; Female; Humans; Male; Medicare; Mental illness; Neoplasms; Postoperative Period; Risk Factors; Schizophrenia; Schizophrenic Psychology; Severity of Illness Index; Suicidal ideation; Suicidal Ideation; Surveys and Questionnaires; United States