Journal article
Association of depressive symptomatology with problem alcohol use in rural head and neck cancer patients at diagnosis
Journal of psychosocial oncology, Vol.40(6), pp.868-880
08/22/2021
DOI: 10.1080/07347332.2021.1971816
PMCID: PMC8898322
PMID: 34486953
Abstract
Purpose: Problem alcohol use is a risk factor for the development of head and neck cancer (HNC) and continued use is associated with poor outcomes; depressive symptoms may be associated with this behavior. Design: Exploratory cross-sectional study examined depressive symptoms as a correlate of self-reported problem alcohol use at diagnosis. Sample/Methods: Multivariable linear regression examined depressive symptoms as a correlate of problem alcohol use in a sample of rural HNC patients (N = 249). Findings: Over half (55.2%) of rural patients with potentially problem alcohol use exhibited mild to moderate depressive symptomatology. Regression models controlling for age, cancer site, stage, sex, tobacco use, and treatment modality indicated that depressive symptoms at diagnosis were associated with self-reported problem alcohol use scores at diagnosis (ss = .186, sr(2) = .031, p < .01). Follow-up subgroup analyses demonstrated that depressive symptoms at diagnosis were significantly associated with self-reported problem alcohol use in male patients, those with advanced stage disease, and of older age. Conclusions/Implications: HNC patients should be screened for alcohol use and depression at diagnosis. Access to behavioral health treatment and/or referral options may be lacking in rural areas thus additional ways of connecting rural patients to specialty care should be explored. These may include telehealth and multimodal interventions to address complex behavioral health cases. Additional research in important patient subgroups such as older patients and those presenting with advanced disease is also warranted.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Association of depressive symptomatology with problem alcohol use in rural head and neck cancer patients at diagnosis
- Creators
- M. Bryant Howren - Iowa City VA Health Care SystemAaron Seaman - University of IowaAlan J. Christensen - East Carolina UniversityNitin A. Pagedar - Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of psychosocial oncology, Vol.40(6), pp.868-880
- DOI
- 10.1080/07347332.2021.1971816
- PMID
- 34486953
- PMCID
- PMC8898322
- NLM abbreviation
- J Psychosoc Oncol
- ISSN
- 0734-7332
- eISSN
- 1540-7586
- Publisher
- Taylor & Francis
- Number of pages
- 13
- Grant note
- P30 CA086862 / National Cancer Institute and University of Iowa Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center UL1TR002537 / National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences; United States Department of Health & Human Services; National Institutes of Health (NIH) - USA; NIH National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) 14381 / VA Office of Rural Health, Veterans Rural Health Resource Center-Iowa City (VRHRC-IC), Iowa City VA Health Care System, Iowa City, IA
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 08/22/2021
- Academic Unit
- Psychological and Brain Sciences; Center for Social Science Innovation; General Internal Medicine; Community and Behavioral Health; Otolaryngology; Internal Medicine
- Record Identifier
- 9984311439102771
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