Mental Health Screening for Female Veterans With Breast Cancer

By: Victoria Kuhr, MS
Posted: Thursday, October 10, 2024

Mental health screening for female veterans within 3 months of a new breast cancer diagnosis appears to be low. Additionally, Nicole Margo Grogan Fleege, MD, of the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, and colleagues observed a significant difference in screening between female veterans in rural and urban populations. These findings were presented at the 2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Quality Care Symposium (Abstract 222).

The study included female veterans newly diagnosed with new breast cancer between 2017 and 2021. Data for mental health screenings (Patient Health Questionnaire [PHQ]-2, PHQ-9, General Anxiety Disorder-7] were collected after a patient’s first diagnosis of breast cancer. Data were taken from several large veterans associations (VA) and non-VA data sets.

A total of 14,225 female veterans with a new breast cancer diagnosis were identified. The mean age for the female veterans was 63.4 years. The most common documented race in this population was White (30.6%), followed by Black (15.7%). Overall, 59.6% of female veterans lived in an urban setting as opposed to a rural setting (40.4%).

In the entire population, just 14% of female veterans had a mental health screening within 3 months of a cancer diagnosis. Female veterans living in an urban setting were more likely to be screened compared with those living in a rural setting (17.4% vs 9.2%, P < .001). For women screened within 3 months of a cancer diagnosis, most tested negative, regardless of rurality (76.1% rural, 75.7% urban). Of women who had a positive mental health screening within 3 months, roughly one-third (31.8% rural, 34.2% urban) had additional screening regardless of rurality. However, for those with a negative initial screening, female veterans in an urban setting were more likely to have additional screening (17% vs 10.2%, P = .001).

Disclosure: Dr. Fleege reported no conflicts of interest. For full disclosures of the other study authors, visit coi.asco.org.

2024 ASCO Quality Care Symposium

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