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Elaf from Beirut: Two medical studies have warned that people who discover that they have cancer or suffer its consequences are more likely to develop depression and commit suicide, which requires attention to the mental health of patients.
According to the American newspaper, “The New York Times”, these two studies relied on samples from millions of people who had developed cancer.
One study revealed that the risk of suicide is 85 percent higher among cancer patients, compared to healthy people.
The difference between sadness and depression
The study showed a decrease in suicide among patients with some less aggressive and more treatable cancers, such as testicular cancer and non-myeloid melanomas.
As for those with severe cancers of the stomach and pancreas, they were among the most likely to commit suicide due to complications of the disease.
The study indicated that the suicide rate of cancer patients is significantly higher in the United States, compared to Europe, Asia and Australia.
The researchers suggested that the high cost of treatment is one of the reasons for the suicide of patients in the United States, because the affected person chooses not to receive treatment in order to avoid overburdening his family with the burden of loans.
In a second study, a huge database was developed based on 460,000 people who developed different types of cancer in Britain between 1998 and 2020.
The study indicated that 5% of those diagnosed with cancer developed depression, and a similar percentage developed anxiety, while 1% of those diagnosed with the disease did harm to themselves.
The study stated that those who were diagnosed with aggressive cancers of the brain and prostate were more likely to harm themselves.