The global cancer burden is growing, resulting in a significant physical and mental impact on patients and caregivers. However, there has been limited policy action to address the mental health burden, with the majority of policy focusing on the physical aspects of cancer. This is despite the significant prevalence of mental health issues in cancer patients with ~40% having a diagnosable mental health condition and the negative impact this can have on cancer outcomes, including increased mortality and reduced quality of life1.
The study aims to assess the current policy environment for mental health in cancer by identifying policy gaps, variations, and best practices. The findings informed policy recommendations to improve the holistic patient-journey approach to policy development and address the mental health burden in cancer patients globally.
Our approach involved a literature review focused on five countries and regions with diverse healthcare systems, namely: Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, and policies at the European Union level.
We assessed government policies including cancer control plans; academic literature; and grey literature such as blogs and non-peer-reviewed publications.
We used a structured framework to assess policies across different areas: policy recognition; innovation process; awareness and education; diagnosis efforts; care provision; access to treatment; and post-treatment care.
Our findings reveal significant gaps and variations in policies, most notably a lack of targeted initiatives to address mental health needs throughout the cancer journey. This is reflected in the absence of mental health considerations in cancer plans. Key challenges across the policy environment relate to suboptimal diagnosis efforts, poorly defined referral pathways, and limited access to affordable psychosocial treatment. This creates considerable barriers to timely mental health diagnosis and treatment, negatively impacting patients and caregivers. The study also identifies best practices and areas with greater policy development including increasing awareness and education of the mental health in cancer burden, which provides a foundation for future change.
The findings informed the development of policy recommendations that center on how to increase mental health in cancer recognition in policymaking and improve diagnosis and access to treatment.