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In a retrospective study on US adults, researchers found a higher prevalence of self-reported depressive symptoms (SRDS) in females with cancer worry (CW) compared to males, with older males experiencing a more pronounced decrease in SRDS likelihood.
The following is a summary of “Cancer worry and its impact on self-reported depressive symptoms among adult males and females in the US: a nationwide sample study,” published in the January 2024 issue of Psychiatry by Mamudu et al.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to investigate the prevalence, variations, and impact of cancer worry (CW) and its interaction with age and other confounding factors on self-reported depressive symptoms (SRDS) among US adults of both genders.
They analyzed a nationally representative dataset comprising 2,950 individuals (1,276 males; 1,674 females) from Cycle 4 of the Health Information National Trends Survey 5 (HINTS 5) in 2020. Employing frequencies, bivariate chi-square tests, and multivariate logistic regression, they explored the prevalence, disparities, and the relationship between Cancer Worry (CW) and SRDS while adjusting for confounding factors.
The results showed a 32% prevalence of SRDS among females and 23.5% among males. Females with CW had a higher SRDS prevalence than males (40.5% vs. 35.1%). Notably, males with CW had an 84% higher risk of SRDS than females. In multivariate analysis, males and females across all age groups had a significantly lower likelihood of SRDS than those aged 18–34. Males aged 35 or older exhibited a more pronounced decrease than females in the same age group. The interplay of age and CW raised SRDS likelihood across all age groups, especially in males, except those aged 75 and older.
They concluded that CW was linked to depression, especially in men of age. Key for mental health strategies.
Source: bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-023-05405-4