Challenges, rewards, and lessons learned from family and community caregivers of individuals with serious mental illness and cancer.

Purpose: The caregiving experience for individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) and cancer has not been explored in previous cancer caregiver research. This study assessed the challenges, rewards, and lessons learned from this unique population of caregivers.

Methods: We conducted qualitative interviews with 13 caregivers (9 family caregivers, 4 community caregivers) of patients recently diagnosed with head and neck, breast, lung, or gastrointestinal cancer and SMI who participated in a single-arm pilot of person-centered collaborative care.

Study protocol for a randomized trial of bridge: Person-centered collaborative care for serious mental illness and cancer.

Background: Individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) experience inequities in cancer care that contribute to increased cancer mortality. Involving mental health at the time of cancer diagnosis may improve cancer care delivery for patients with SMI yet access to care remains challenging. Collaborative care is a promising approach to integrate mental health and cancer care that has not yet been studied in this marginalized population.

Bridge: Person-Centered Collaborative Care for Patients with Serious Mental Illness and Cancer.

Background: Individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) experience increased cancer mortality due to inequities in cancer treatment. Psychiatric care at cancer diagnosis may improve care delivery, yet models for integrating psychiatry and cancer care are lacking. We assessed the feasibility and acceptability of a person-centered collaborative care trial for SMI and cancer.