Lab alumnus Jennie Tang along with Dr. Ferro and colleagues at the University of Waterloo recently published a paper entitled “Perceived Needs for Mental Health Care Among Emerging Adults With Cancer”.

There are many challenges of living with cancer which can compound the normal stresses of navigating emerging adulthood and can lead to long-term psychiatric consequences. However, there is a lack of information on the mental health services required by this group of young people. This study examined emerging adults with cancer and the prevalence of mental health disorders along with their perceived needs for mental health care. Data came from the Canadian Community Health Survey—Mental Health and results showed that emerging adults with cancer had higher odds of reporting unmet perceived needs for mental health care. This suggests an opportunity to improve future health services aimed at addressing the mental health care needs for emerging adults with cancer. It is recommended that future research should look at the link between mental health and other long-term chronic conditions.