Psycho-oncology is the specialty within health psychology that deals with the care of cancer patients and their families. The mental health professional helps patients to cope with the emotional impact of the disease in order to improve their quality of life and reduce, as far as possible, their suffering. The aim is to facilitate adaptation to the change in life that exposure to a cancer disease can entail during the recovery process.
The introduction of a specialist in psychology within the multidisciplinary oncology team is necessary in order to assess the spiritual and emotional level, the patient’s suffering and his or her conception of the world around him or her. Otherwise, there would be no adequate treatment for the patient because the emotional and psychological aspects of the disease would not be addressed and the treatment would focus only on the physical ailments, neglecting the emotional area. Not infrequently, the advice of a physician specializing in psychiatry is necessary when the person requires advice on taking anxiolytic, hypnotic or antidepressant medication to minimize the presence of symptoms of anxiety, depression or insomnia; pharmacological prescription being a key approach for many patients. In this sense, it is necessary to know the most effective pharmacological therapeutic strategies, better tolerated and with less impact on the organism and with possible pharmacological interactions prescribed for oncological treatment.
Working with patients facing death is an exhausting and stressful task, so it is important that experts are trained and adopt a certain role. To do this, it is necessary to maintain a distant relationship, practice active listening, empathy and effective communication, offering support and accompanying the patient throughout the process of their illness.
What are its objectives?
The objectives of this specialty are:
- To promote the well-being of the patient and his family with the aim of increasing their quality of life, offering psychological support.
- To carry out prevention and research on the psychological factors of the oncological process and to optimize the improvement of the health care system.
- To accompany emotionally in the adaptation to change.
- Early detection of the appearance of symptoms of insomnia, anxiety or depression that may limit the psychophysical and global stability of the patient.
- To evaluate the case by a psychiatrist, in specific cases, to determine whether the patient requires specific psychopharmacological treatment.
In which patients is it used?
Studies have shown that psychotherapeutic, psychosocial, behavioral and psychoeducational interventions are effective and meet the needs of cancer patients. By providing psychological well-being and a good emotional adaptation to change, the process of adaptation to the oncological disease is facilitated, the emotional impact is minimized during the coping with the disease and a posteriori, avoids the possible occurrence of emotional trauma. Psycho-oncology covers two dimensions:
- Attention to the emotional response of the patient, his or her family and caregivers throughout the course of the patient’s illness.
- The detection and intervention of psychological, behavioral and social factors that interfere with the patient’s survival and quality of life. The evaluation performed by the mental health specialist should include anxious and depressive symptomatology, genuine psychiatric disorders, explore the existence of suicidal ideation, as well as addictive habits and behaviors.
What pathologies can be treated?
Studies show that between 30 and 40% of cancer patients have other psychopathological problems. The disorders that appear most frequently are anxiety, depression and adaptive disorders with anxious or depressive symptomatology.
Cancer disease generates physical symptoms accompanied by emotional symptoms such as fear, anxiety, anger or depression. At the same time, they usually coexist together with feelings of guilt, forgiveness, inner peace, etc. Aspects to which attention must be paid in order to alleviate the anguish they generate, thus attending to the emotional, psychological and psychiatric needs of the oncology patient.