A Policy Dialogue Addressing the 30 Year Mortality Gap for Patients with Significant Mental Health Illness and Cancer

"It’s unacceptable, an injustice, a violation of human rights"

Psychologist Professor Paul D’Alton highlighted the stark 30-year mortality gap faced by people living with serious mental illness who develop cancer.

One in two people in Ireland will develop cancer in their lifetime, yet for those living with severe mental illness such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, the odds of surviving the disease are markedly lower. This inequity was the focus of a Policy Dialogue on Inequity in Cancer Care held in Dublin.

People in Ireland’s cancer treatment system are doing much better than they were a decade ago and survival improves significantly when patients can access and remain on treatment. However, people with severe mental illness face barriers in accessing treatment, experience stigma and delayed diagnosis. They often have additional needs and are more likely to disengage from the system. These factors contribute to a life expectancy difference of up to 30 years compared to someone without severe mental illness who develops cancer.

At the Museum of Literature Ireland in central Dublin, clinicians, researchers, policymakers and patient advocates heard about international developments and explored how Ireland can strengthen policies for people with severe mental illness who develop cancer.

Dr Kelly Irwin, Faculty Psychiatrist at the Massachusetts Hospital Cancer Center, outlined the challenges people with severe mental illness may face in understanding diagnoses, engaging with treatment and accessing clinical trials and described how the BRIDGE project halved disruptions to cancer care for this patient group.

Dr Pernille Bidstrup, Senior Researcher and Psychologist at the Danish Cancer Institute, discussed the importance of trust in supporting people with severe mental illness through cancer care and shared outcomes from the STARS programme in Denmark.

Professor William Gallagher, Professor of Cancer Biology at UCD and co-lead of the All-Island Cancer Research Institute, emphasised that despite major advances in cancer research and care, inequities persist for individuals with pre-existing mental health difficulties.

Professor Patricia Maguire, Director of the UCD Institute for Discovery, highlighted the need for collaboration across disciplines to develop a comprehensive policy document capable of influencing Ireland’s national cancer strategy.

The day consisted of workshops that generated valuable discussion and recommendations which we hope can shape the next cancer research strategy in 2026.

The Policy Dialogue was supported by the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, a partnership hosted by the WHO, and by the ECHoS programme, an EU Cancer Mission project establishing National Cancer Mission Hubs across Europe. The All-Island Cancer Research Institute, via UCD, is one of two Irish partners in the ECHoS project along with the National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP). The event was hosted by AICRI and NCCP together with the UCD Institute for Discovery.