Sleep disturbance and depressive symptoms in older adults with cancer: A cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA)

Project Summary

Individuals with cancer experience physical and mental symptoms that worsen quality of life. Cancer is a disease that mostly affects older adults, who are more likely to experience severe symptoms. Sleep disturbance and depression are two common symptoms that significantly affect the quality of life of individuals with cancer and patients who report these symptoms are more likely to pass away. Few studies have examined sleep disturbance and depression in older adults with cancer. This study will evaluate how common sleep disturbance and depression are, their relationship, and how this relationship is impacted by cancer and aging. Data from 51,388 Canadians aged 45-85 with 3 follow ups over 9 years will be used. This will be the largest study of sleep disturbance and depression among Canadian older adults with cancer. It will provide important information about how to screen and treat patients with sleep disturbance, depression, or both.