Poster from APOS meeting, Annaheim, California, February 2011

1. P2-29 Temporal Trends in Suicidal Thoughts after Cancer: Prospective
examination in a clinically representative ethnically diverse UK sample
Alex J Mitchell Consultant in Psycho-oncology Karen Lord PhD Candidate & CNS Paul Symonds Reader in Oncology
Department of Cancer & Molecular Medicine, University Hospitals Leicester (UK) & University of Leicester ajm80@le.ac.uk
OBJECTIVES
Recently there has been more attention on people with suicidal thoughts who suffer distress or depression in the
context of cancer. However temporal trends have not been previously studied.
METHODS
We analysed data collected from Leicester Cancer Centre from 2008-2009 involving approximately 1000 people
approached by a research nurse and two therapeutic radiographers. Of those approached we collected data on 738
presentations, that is people seen up to three times over 9 months during treatment for cancer. We had complete data
regarding suicidality on 554 (411 BW 143 BSA). We examined the following factors: treatment intent (radical vs
palliative), gender, ethnicity, cancer type, cancer duration.
We measured suicidal thoughts using the PHQ9, using the question “thoughts that you would be better of dead of hurting
yourself in some way” and scored as follows:
not at all = 0; several days =1; more than half the days = 2; nearly every day = 3.
We report here, the proportion of people with any suicidal thoughts (non zero scores).
RESULTS
Of all patients 510 had no suicidal thoughts, 44 (8%) had some thoughts and 12(2%)
had thoughts on “more than half days”. We found a slight rise in suicidal thoughts at 3
months, but overall at 9 months no consistent fall (or increase) in suicidal thoughts.
There was no clear trend in ethnic minority population.
ALL
At baseline 16 of 254 had suicidal thoughts (6.3%)
At 3months 21 of 181 had suicidal thoughts (11.6%)
At 9 months 9 of 119 had suicidal thoughts (7.5%)
British White
At baseline 8 of 170 had suicidal thoughts (4.7%)
At interview 2 17 of 137 had suicidal thoughts (12.4%)
At interview 3 6 of 104 had suicidal thoughts (5.7%)
British South Asian
At baseline 8 of 85 had suicidal thoughts (9.4%)
At interview 2 4 of 44 had suicidal thoughts (9.1%)
At interview 3 3 of 15 had suicidal thoughts (20%)
CONCLUSIONS In our clinically representative diverse sample, we found no consistent fall (or increase) in suicidal
thoughts. Clinically this means there may be no “high risk” period and clinicians should maintain high vigilance for
suicidal thoughts throughout.
ACKNOLWEDGEMENT Funding from Hope against Cancer WEBSITE: www.psycho-oncology.info