National estimates of mental health service use and unmet needs among adult cancer survivors

Background Cancer survivors are at elevated risk for developing mental health (MH) disorders. This study assessed MH service use and unmet service needs among a nationally representative sample of cancer survivors. Methods Respondents aged 18 to 64 years were identified from the 2015‐2018 National Survey of Drug Use and Health data. Outcomes assessed past‐year MH service use and self‐reported unmet MH needs. Outcomes were compared between respondents who reported a cancer history (survivors) and those who did not (controls), descriptively and in adjusted analyses controlling for sociodemographic factors and health status. Analyses were stratified by age groups (18‐34, 35‐49, and 50‐64 years). Results Comparing 3540 survivors with 149,843 controls, within each age group, a higher proportion of survivors than controls received any MH service (P values