IMPACT OF PAIN INTERFERENCE ON TREATMENT OUTCOMES AMONG OLDER ADULTS WITH DEPRESSIVE AND ANXIETY SYMPTOMS RECEIVING COLLABORATIVE MENTAL HEALTH CARE

11543 Background: Surgery is a notable stressor for older adults with cancer who are often medically complex and frail. The American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer requires distress screening in accredited cancer care settings. The degree to which distress screening leads to mental health use is unclear. This study examined rates and predictors of post-surgical mental health care in older adults referred for a preoperative evaluation. Methods: Patients aged 75 years or older (n = 1,008) referred to the Geriatrics Service at a comprehensive cancer center were enrolled. Patients underwent elective surgery with a length of stay of 3 days or longer and were followed for at least 30 days after surgery. A comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) was administered as part of routine care. Surgical characteristics and post-surgical encounters with social work, psychology, and psychiatry were abstracted from the electronic medical record. Bivariate relationships between demographic and surgical characteristics and the CGA and post-operative receipt of mental health services were examined. Characteristics with significant (p < .01) bivariate relationships were entered into a multivariable regression predicting post-operative mental health service use. Results: One-quarter of the total sample (n = 246, 24.4%) received post-operative mental health services. In multivariable analyses, high distress (Distress Thermometer score≥4; p = .01), poor social support (p = .01), iADL dependence (p = .04), and longer length of stay (p < .001) were associated with receipt of mental health services after controlling for significant sociodemographic and surgical characteristics and CGA variables. Of patients with high distress, poor social support, or iADL dependence, only one-third (29-33%) received mental health care. Conclusions: Distressed older adults and those with low levels of support pre-operatively were more likely to receive mental health services after surgery, controlling for sociodemographic and surgical characteristics. Yet, only one-third of these patients received mental health care. These findings suggest that barriers to translating distress screening into provision of mental health services remain.

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Associations between perceptions of care experiences and receipt of mental health care among older adults with cancer.

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2020.38.29_suppl.175 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 38 (29_suppl) ◽

pp. 175-175

Author(s):

Lisa M Lines ◽

Daniel H Barch ◽

Diana Zabala ◽

Michael T. Halpern ◽

Paul Jacobsen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Older Adults ◽

Health Care ◽

Linear Regression ◽

Mental Health Care ◽

Mood Disorders ◽

Regression Models ◽

Case Mix ◽

Linear Regression Models ◽

Fair Poor

175 Background: Older adults with cancer and worse self-rated mental health report worse care experiences. We hypothesized that, controlling for health and demographic characteristics, older adults with cancer who received care for anxiety or mood disorders would report better care experiences. Methods: We used SEER-CAHPS data to identify Medicare beneficiaries, aged 66 and over, diagnosed from August 2006 through December 2013 with one of the 10 most prevalent solid tumor malignancies. To identify utilization for anxiety or mood disorders (screening, diagnosis, or treatment), we analyzed inpatient, outpatient, home health, physician, and prescription drug claims from 12 months before through up to 5 years after cancer diagnosis. Outcomes of interest were global care experience ratings (Overall Care, Personal Doctor, and Specialist; rated on a 0-10 scale) and composite measures (Getting Needed Care, Getting Care Quickly, and Doctor Communication; scored from 0-100). We estimated linear regression models and also used a Bayesian Model Averaging approach, adjusting for standard case-mix adjustors (including sociodemographics and self-reported general health and mental health status [MHS]) and other characteristics, including cancer site and stage at diagnosis. We also included interaction terms between mental health care utilization and MHS. Results: Approximately 22% of the overall sample (n = 4,998) had both cancer and a claim for an anxiety or mood disorder, and of those individuals, 18% reported fair/poor MHS. Only 7% of those in the cancer-only cohort reported fair/poor MHS. Before adjusting for mental health utilization, worse MHS was significantly associated with worse experience of care. After accounting for anxiety/mood disorder-related utilization, linear regression models showed no significant associations between fair/poor MHS and worse care experiences, while Bayesian models found that reliable associations remained between worse MHS and lower global ratings of Overall Care and Specialist. Conclusions: Utilization for anxiety/mood disorders mediates the association between fair/poor MHS and worse care experiences. Although MHS is a case-mix adjustor for CAHPS public reporting, it is important to recognize that care for anxiety or mood disorders may improve care experiences among seniors with cancer.

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Effectiveness and predictors of outcome in routine out-patient mental health care for older adults

International Psychogeriatrics ◽

10.1017/s1041610214000647 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 26 (9) ◽

pp. 1565-1574 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Marjolein A. Veerbeek ◽

Richard C. Oude Voshaar ◽

Anne Margriet Pot

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Older Adults ◽

Health Care ◽

Older People ◽

Mental Health Care ◽

Health Clinic ◽

Outpatient Mental Health ◽

Somatic Comorbidity ◽

Meta Analyses ◽

Psychiatric Problems

ABSTRACTBackground:Meta-analyses show efficacy of several psychological and pharmacological interventions for late-life psychiatric disorders, but generalization of effects to routine mental health care for older people remains unknown. Aim of this study is to investigate the improvement of functioning within one year of referral to an outpatient mental health clinic for older adults.Methods:Pre-post measurement of the Health of Nations Outcome Scale 65+ (HoNOS 65+) in 704 older people referred for psychiatric problems (no dementia) to any of the seven participating mental health care organizations.Results:The pre-post-test Cohen's d effect size was 1.08 in the total group and 1.23 in depressed patients, the largest subgroup. Linear regression identified better functioning at baseline, comorbid personality disorder, somatic comorbidity and life events during treatment as determinants of a worse outcome.Conclusions:Functioning of older persons with psychiatric problems largely improves after treatment in routine mental health care.

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