Ireland | Cancer patients living with severe mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, face life expectancies up to 30 years shorter than the general population, according to a newly released report. Title The Cancer Policy Dialogue Report: Inequity in Cancer Care for Patients with Significant Mental Health Difficulties, the findings highlight a stark “mortality gap” driven by systematic disparities rather than the diseases themselves.Launched at the All-Island Cancer Summit, the report reveals that this vulnerability is heavily compounded by significant delays in cancer diagnosis, severe barriers to undergoing cancer treatment, and widespread exclusion from cutting-edge clinical trials. Co-author Dr. Paul D’Alton from the university’s School of Psychology emphasized that models in places like Massachusetts and Denmark prove equitable care is possible, calling for the immediate creation of a dedicated clinical care pathway. Alongside co-author Professor Jim Lucey from Trinity College Dublin, the researchers recommended mandatory mental health awareness training for oncology staff and an overhaul of clinical trial criteria to safely increase patient inclusion.
Source: University College Dublin
#WordMain #StudentNewsPortal #Europe #studentnews
About the Author
