Distress and mental health care and medication use among survivors of multiple primary cancer diagnoses: Findings from the 2016 National Health Interview Survey

Over 1 million survivors of multiple primary cancer (MPC) diagnoses reside in the USA. Information regarding their physical and mental health status is limited. This study examined distress and mental health care use among MPC survivors relative to survivors of a single primary cancer (SPC) diagnosis. Using the 2016 National Health Information Survey, MPC survivors (n = 265), SPC survivors (n = 2103), and no cancer controls (NCC; n = 28,320) were identified. The MPC group was compared to the SPC and NCC groups with regard to multiple distress indices and use of mental health care and anxiety and depression medication. Relative to the SPC group, the MPC group reported more Total Distress (M = 9.59 vs. 8.84; p