Neglecting The Mental Health of Cancer 

Patients   
 
 
Good morning madam adjudicator. Today I am here to talk about neglecting 
the mental health of cancer patients.  
 
Every 3 minutes in Ireland someone will receive a cancer diagnosis. 
 
 
Over 9,000 people will die from cancer this year in Ireland . And 1 in 3 
people with Cancer will experience a mental health problem.  
 
For many, receiving a cancer diagnosis can be as devastating to the psyche 
as the cancer itself is to the body. Their first thought- PANIC. Their minds 
fill with all these questions. How will I tell my children? Will I have to take a 
leave of absence at work? What will be the course of treatment? Having all 
these unanswered questions circulating the brain can cause anxiety and 
stress. 

How many people does this effect?  

According to ​The National Cancer Institute​, up to 25% of cancer survivors 

experience symptoms of ​depression​ and up to 45 % experience ​anxiety​. That 
is 70% of cancer patients dealing with some type of mental health problem.  

Throughout having cancer the mental effects are overlooked, and many 
patients do not receive mental health treatment, until post cancer treatment. 
This is not right. This needs to change quickly before it's too late.   
All of us know somebody affected by cancer, directly or indirectly. By 2020, 1 
in 2 people in Ireland will develop cancer during their lifetime. In Ireland 
more than 40,000 new cases of cancer or related tumours are diagnosed each 
year. 

I believe that as a country something needs t​ o be done to help combat this 

growing problem. Although counselling support is available, sometimes people 
feel too afraid to get the help they need. I feel counselling should be 
mandatory with ever cancer diagnosis, whether the patient wants it or not.  

How do people cope with all the aspects of a cancer diagnosis? 

Dealing with the cancer itself is only one aspect of coping. Financial concerns, 
relationships with family and friends and work worries can pile on the stress 
when it's least needed. It can be very useful to speak to someone who is not 
personally involved. It allows the patient to tell them things that they may 
otherwise wish to keep private. Therefore reducing the amount of anxiety 
they may be feeling. A counsellor is able to provide beneficial emotional 
support compared to talking to a family member or friend.  

The post-treatment phase of cancer is an especially volatile time for people’s 

mental health, yet people receive the least support at this stage. The ‘false 
summit’ that people describe is testament to the lack of support and 
discussions about mental health. 

Who is affected by mental health issues?  

It’s not only adults who are suffering with mental health issues, we are seeing 
it more and more with children who have cancer. ​ ​chemo or radiation therapy, 
can have long-term negative effects that extend beyond physical problems 
such as hair loss, pain, and physical disability. Indeed, similar to “chemo 
brain” in adults, childhood cancer and its treatment may have harmful effects 
on brain development, causing problems with attention, memory, and 
language, and also leading to depression and anxiety.  

Cancer and its treatment may not be the only damaging factors to consider. 
Childhood cancer is extremely stressful, for the patient and for the whole family. 
Stress begins at the time of diagnosis, when families are confronted by the 
tremendous burden of understanding the disease and medical terms, and facing 
the possibility of the child’s death at a young age. Family life is disrupted as 
families struggle with a ‘new normal’ that consists of frequent hospital visits, 
overwhelming medical bills, and a questionable future. And then there are the 
stressful and sometimes painful medical procedures.  

In conclusion I believe more attention should be paid to the mental health of 
cancer patients. How many more people will have to suffer through depression 
and anxiety alone until we see a difference?  

Thank you