Survivors who are psychologically distressed use even more services than those who aren’t
WEDNESDAY, May 9, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Survivors of lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) have increased use of health care services versus a normative population, according to a study published online April 26 in Cancer.
Lindy P.J. Arts, from the Netherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organisation in Utrecht, and colleagues evaluated the use of medical and psychosocial care services among 1,444 survivors of lymphoma and CLL compared with a control population. Survivors completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale questionnaire and questions about health care, and their answers were compared with an age- and sex-matched normative population.
The researchers found that survivors of lymphoma and CLL contacted their general practitioner and medical specialist more often within the last year versus the control population. Survivors with psychological distress had even more medical contacts and received psychosocial care more often than nondistressed survivors. Greater use of medical services was tied to psychological distress, comorbidity, female sex, and older age. Younger age was associated with receiving psychosocial care.
“Further studies are needed to explore whether the use of widely applicable psychosocial interventions could reduce the frequency of medical contacts,” the authors write.
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