Assessing the Impact of a Gastrointestinal Cancer Diagnosis on Mental Health Claims Among Co-Insured Household Family Members

Abstract

BackgroundGastrointestinal (GI) cancer diagnosis can adversely impact the mental health (MH) of a patient’s household members, including spouses and children. The objective of the current study was to explore the potential change in MH claims among households following a patient’s GI cancer diagnosis. MethodsHouseholds of patients with GI cancer diagnosis were identified using the IBM MarketScan Database (2014-2019) and matched with households of patients without cancer. MH-related visits of spouses and children were assessed in the 12 months before and after the index date of diagnosis. Changes were compared between the two cohorts using difference-in-difference (DID) analysis. ResultsAmong 40,650 households in the spouses’ analysis and 20,014 households in the children’s analysis, 25.1% (n=10,210) and 26.8% (n=5,368) were households with GI cancer. Univariable DID analysis demonstrated that households with GI cancer had a greater increase in anxiety-related (spouses:2.2% vs. 0.7%; children:2.0% vs. 1.1%), mental illness-related (spouses:3.2% vs. 1.2%; children:3.0% vs. 1.6%), and overall MH-related visits (spouses:3.3% vs. 1.4%), relative to the control group (all p<0.05). In adjusted DID analysis, spouses, children, and households with GI cancer had 2.1%, 1.6%, and 2.3% absolute risk increase of mental illness-related visits, respectively, compared to non-cancer households (all p<0.05). ConclusionIn this cohort study of privately-insured households, co-insured spouses and children of patients diagnosed with GI cancer presented a higher risk of having MH-related claims than households not experiencing cancer diagnosis. Interventions should focus on the importance of counseling and psychological support in the aftermath of a loved one’s cancer diagnosis.