Return to work after cancer: Improved mental health in working cancer survivors

Lieb M, Wuensch A, Schieber K, Bergelt C, Faller H, Geiser F, Goerling U, Hoenig K, Hornemann B, Maatouk I, Niecke A, Stein B, Teufel M, Wickert M, Buttner-Teleaga A, Erim Y, Weis J (2022)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2022

Journal

Psycho-Oncology Wiley-Blackwell

DOI: 10.1002/pon.5877

Abstract

Objective Aim of the study was to compare working and non-working patients over a period of 12 months regarding socio-demographic, cancer-specific and mental health parameters. Methods This study was conducted as part of a Germany-wide longitudinal survey among 1398 patients in 13 national Comprehensive Cancer Centers. The sample used for analysis consisted of n = 430 cancer patients younger than 65 years (age M = 52.4 years, SD = 8.1; 67.0% females). Socio-demographic, cancer-specific and mental health parameters (Depression: Patient Health Questionnaire, Anxiety: Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale, Distress: Distress Thermometer) were assessed at baseline during hospitalization and at 12 months follow-up. Results 73.7% of all patients (n = 317) have returned to work after one year. While working and non-working patients did not differ in socio-demographic parameters, there were significant differences in the presence of metastases, tumor and treatment status. Mixed analysis of variances revealed significant interactions between working status and time for depression (p = 0.009), anxiety (p = 0.003) and distress (p = 0.007). Non-working patients reported higher levels of depression, anxiety and distress than working patients over time. A logistic regression showed significant associations between lower depression (p = 0.019), lower distress (p = 0.033) and the absence of a tumor (p = 0.015) with working status. Conclusions The majority of cancer survivors returned to work. Non-working patients had higher levels of depression, anxiety and distress than working patients. After controlling for cancer-specific factors, mental health parameters were still independently associated with working status. Return to work can thus be associated with an improved mental health in cancer survivors. In order to establish causality, further research is necessary.

Authors with CRIS profile

Marietta Lieb Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy Katharina Schieber Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy Yesim Erim Professur für Psychosomatik und Psychotherapie

Involved external institutions

Universitätsklinikum Freiburg DE Germany (DE) Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) DE Germany (DE) Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg DE Germany (DE) Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn DE Germany (DE) Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin DE Germany (DE) Universitätsklinikum Ulm DE Germany (DE) Universitätsklinikum Carl Gustav Carus Dresden DE Germany (DE) Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg DE Germany (DE) Universität zu Köln DE Germany (DE) Universität Duisburg-Essen (UDE) DE Germany (DE) Universitätsklinikum Tübingen DE Germany (DE) Paracelsus Medizinische Privatuniversität AT Austria (AT) Woosuk University KR Korea, Republic of (KR) Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Lieb, M., Wuensch, A., Schieber, K., Bergelt, C., Faller, H., Geiser, F.,... Weis, J. (2022). Return to work after cancer: Improved mental health in working cancer survivors. Psycho-Oncology. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.5877

MLA:

Lieb, Marietta, et al. "Return to work after cancer: Improved mental health in working cancer survivors." Psycho-Oncology (2022).

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