Changes in Depressive Patterns Before and After Lung Cancer Diagnosis: A Nationwide Population-Based Study

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Psychiatry
• Public Health

Background:

• Depression is a frequent comorbidity in lung cancer patients.
• Large-scale population-based evidence on depression and antidepressant use in this group is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate antidepressant use and hospital-diagnosed depression in lung cancer patients.
• To compare these rates before and after lung cancer diagnosis using a nationwide cohort.

Main Methods:

• Nationwide registry-based study in Denmark (1998-2022).
• Included all lung cancer patients and a matched comparison cohort (1:4 ratio).
• Utilized national registry data on hospital diagnoses and redeemed antidepressant prescriptions.

Main Results:

• Antidepressant use was higher in lung cancer patients pre-diagnosis (12.7% vs. 9.9%) and increased significantly post-diagnosis (23.7% vs. 11.9% at 2 years).
• New antidepressant initiation was substantially higher in lung cancer patients (8.4% at 1 year, 13.7% at 2 years) compared to controls (1.9%, 3.4%).
• Hospital-diagnosed depression was more prevalent in lung cancer patients (2.1% vs. 0.8%), particularly among females.

Conclusions:

• Antidepressant use is prevalent before and escalates after lung cancer diagnosis.
• The disparity in antidepressant use was most pronounced in patients with no prior history.
• Systematic psychosocial assessment and integrated mental health support are crucial for lung cancer patients.