Coping With The Psychological Effects Of Cancer

Cancer affects more than one in three of us. Until recently, the emphasis has been on battling cancer physically. Today, there is increasing recognition of the emotional aspect of having cancer, and survivorship and its issues are hot topics. This book tackles a sensitive subject in an upfront and practical way that acknowledges the uncomfortable and painful emotions associated with cancer.

Cancer care today often provides state-of-the-science biomedical treatment, but fails to address the psychological and social (psychosocial) problems associated with the illness. This failure can compromise the effectiveness of health care and thereby adversely affect the health of cancer patients. Psychological and social problems created or exacerbated by cancer--including depression and other emotional problems; lack of information or skills needed to manage the illness; lack of transportation or other resources; and disruptions in work, school, and family life--cause additional suffering, weaken adherence to prescribed treatments, and threaten patients' return to health. Today, it is not possible to deliver high-quality cancer care without using existing approaches, tools, and resources to address patients' psychosocial health needs. All patients with cancer and their families should expect and receive cancer care that ensures the provision of appropriate psychosocial health services. Cancer Care for the Whole Patient recommends actions that oncology providers, health policy makers, educators, health insurers, health planners, researchers and research sponsors, and consumer advocates should undertake to ensure that this standard is met.

This book addresses the unmet needs of the medical community in dealing with the psychological problems, particularly anxiety and depression, of patients diagnosed with cancer. Providing a scholarly review of the impact of cancer diagnosis on patients’ emotional and psychological status, as well as the evidence that psychological factors impact cancer occurrence and biological behavior, this book explores the therapeutic implications of such converse dynamics. Chapters review financial toxicity, eHealth, palliative care, mindfulness, sleep and cancer, social support and cancer, cultural diversity, pediatric and adolescent oncology, and geriatric oncology. While intended primarily for the professional readership of oncologists, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, and palliative care physicians, a final chapter also provides practical information on available resources for patients. This fully updated and expanded new edition of Psychological Aspects of Cancer: A Guide to Emotional and Psychological Consequences of Cancer, Their Causes, and Their Management provides practitioners with cutting edge knowledge as well as practical information that translates into better care for patients with cancer.

Psychological Aspects of Cancer: A Guide to Emotional and Psychological Consequences of Cancer, Their Causes and Their Management opens with two essays on the biological basis of emotion/mental-driven body processes and disease. The consequence of such considerations is that since thoughts and emotions can be modulated and changed by health care professionals, psychological counseling should be seen not only as a way to help patients cope, but possibly to influence the disease itself. A unique overview of a key area of cancer care, this important title then proceeds to offer a section on genetic predispositions to cancer and the psychological considerations involved in screening and pre-emptive therapies and decision-making in cancer therapy. A third section deals with the philosophical and religious underpinnings of psychological factors involved in coping with disease state stressors and the roles of hope in coping. The fourth section is an acknowledgement that patients with cancer live in a social context, which often includes a partner and/or caregiver. The fifth section includes several essays on aspects and modalities of care-giving that are designed to help patients coping with their cancer and its aftermath, which increasingly extends for years. An important title covering key aspects of one of the most troubling disorders of our time, Psychological Aspects of Cancer: A Guide to Emotional and Psychological Consequences of Cancer, Their Causes and Their Management will provide the busy practitioner with cutting edge knowledge as well as practical information that can translate into better care for patients with cancer.

This compassionate book presents dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), a proven psychological intervention that Marsha M. Linehan developed specifically for the impossible situations of life--and which she and Elizabeth Cohn Stuntz now apply to the unique challenges of cancer for the first time. *How can you face the fear, sadness, and anger without being paralyzed by them? *Is it possible to hold on to hope without being in denial? *How can you nurture supportive relationships when you have barely enough energy to take care of yourself? Learn powerful DBT skills that can help you make difficult treatment decisions, manage overwhelming emotions, speak up for your needs, and tolerate distress. The stories and collective wisdom of other cancer patients and survivors illustrate the coping skills and show how you can live meaningfully, even during the darkest days.

Dyadic coping is a concept that has reached increased attention in psychological science within the last 20 years. Dyadic coping conceptualizes the way couples cope with stress together in sharing appraisals of demands, planning together how to deal with the stressors and engage in supportive or joint dyadic coping. Among the different theories of dyadic coping, the Systemic Transactional Model (STM; Bodenmann, 1995, 1997, 2005) has been applied to many studies on couples’ coping with stress. While a recent meta-analysis shows that dyadiccoping is a robust and consistent predictor of relationship satisfaction and couple’s functioning in community samples, some studies also reveal the significance of dyadic coping in dealing with psychological disorders (e.g., depression, anxiety) or severe illness (e.g., cancer, diabetes, COPD, etc.). Researchers all over the world build their research on this or other concepts of dyadic coping and many typically use the Dyadic Coping Inventory (DCI) for assessing dyadic coping. So far, research on dyadic coping has been systematically presented in two books, one written by Revenson, Kayser, & Bodenmann in 2005, focussing on emerging perspectives on couples’ coping, the other by Falconier, Randall, & Bodenmann more recently in 2016, addressing intercultural aspects of dyadic coping in African, American, Asian and European couples. This eBook gives an insight into recent dyadic coping research in different areas and countries.

Drawing on his extensive personal and professional experience, Dr Neil Fiore guides patients and their families through the psychological and emotional consequences of cancer and its treatment.

"A cancer diagnosis can lead to what feel like impossible questions: How can a person face the fear, sadness, and anger without being paralyzed by them? Is it possible to hold on to hope without being in denial? What is the best way to get needed support? This compassionate book presents dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), a proven psychological intervention that Marsha M. Linehan developed specifically for the impossible situations of life--and which she and Elizabeth Cohn Stuntz now apply to the unique challenges of cancer for the first time. Readers learn powerful skills for making difficult treatment decisions, managing overwhelming emotions, speaking up for their needs, tolerating distress, and living meaningfully, even during the darkest days. Every chapter blends professional expertise, personal stories, and the collective wisdom of other cancer patients and survivors"--