Demographic Disparities in Diagnosis and Treatment of Anxiety and Depressive Disorders in Head and Neck Cancer Survivors.

Abstract

Background: The associations between head and neck cancer (HNC) and anxiety and depression are well-known, but knowledge regarding the association between demographic factors and rates of diagnosis and treatment for these disorders among HNC survivors is incomplete.

Methods: This retrospective study utilized propensity score matching to compare rates of selected new anxiety and/or depressive disorder diagnoses among HNC survivors and treatment of those disorders by sex, race, ethnicity, and language.

Results: Results suggested lower likelihood of anxiety and/or depressive disorder diagnosis among individuals of male sex, and any minority, African American, Asian, and Other race, while diagnosis rates were higher among native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders. Treatment with pharmacotherapy was less likely among individuals of male sex, any minority and African American Asian race, Hispanic ethnicity, and Spanish language.

Conclusions: This study suggests that mental health diagnosis and treatment among HNC survivors may be inequitable, although further research is necessary to confirm these associations and understand underlying mechanisms.