Flourishing despite a cancer diagnosis: factors associated with complete mental health in a nationally-representative sample of cancer patients aged 50 years and older

Objectives: This study investigated the association between cancer and complete mental health (CMH). CMH includes optimal functioning as well as the absence of psychopathology.

Methods: Secondary data analyses of the nationally representative 2012 Canadian Community Health Survey-Mental Health. This study used bivariate and logistic regression analyses to estimate the odds ratios of CMH among community dwellers aged 50 and older with current cancer (n?=?438), previous cancer (n?=?1,174) and no cancer history (n?=?9,279). CMH had three elements: (1) absence of mental illness, addictions and suicidal thoughts in the past year; (2) almost daily happiness or life satisfaction in the past month; (3) psychosocial well-being. Control variables included socio-demographics, health behaviours, current physical health and lifetime history of mental illness and childhood maltreatment.

Results: Adults aged 50 and over with current cancer had a much lower prevalence of CMH (66.1%) than those with previous cancer (77.5%) and those with no cancer history (76.8%). After adjusting for 17 variables, the odds of CMH among those with current cancer remained substantially lower (OR = 0.63; 95% CI = 0.49–0.79) than those without cancer. Among those who had ever had cancer, the odds of CMH were higher for female, white, married, and older respondents, as well as those with higher socioeconomic status, and no history of childhood physical abuse, substance abuse, depression or anxiety disorder.

Conclusions: Those with former cancer have comparable odds of CMH to those with no cancer history, suggesting a high level of resilience among cancer survivors.