Effective Group Therapies For Young Adults Affected By Cancer

Outlining the unique psychosocial and development issues faced by young adults affected by cancer, this text draws on qualitative data from two pilot studies conducted in the US to illustrate how the needs of this often overlooked population can be effectively met via group therapy in clinical settings. Drawing on 25 years of experience as a licensed clinical social worker supporting pediatric and young adult cancer patients and their families, Kurker focuses on the role of the clinician in structuring support group sessions. Chapters draw on patient perspectives to demonstrate effective application of interventions to help adolescents work through trauma associated with a diagnosis of cancer, treatment, recovery, and the impacts on their development. Outcomes from these studies also include strategies for selecting support group participants, structuring group activities, and securing funding. Effective Group Therapies for Young Adults Affected by Cancer will be a valuable text for oncology social workers and clinicians involved in adolescent support services. In addition, researchers and postgraduate students with an interest in the fields of social work, psychology, and adolescent development will find the book of interest.

Meaning-Centered Psychotherapy (MCP) for advanced cancer patients is a highly effective intervention for advanced cancer patients, developed and tested in randomized controlled trials by Breitbart and colleagues at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. This treatment manual for group therapy provides clinicians in the oncology and palliative care settings a highly effective, brief, structured intervention shown to be effective in helping patients sustain meaning, hope and quality of life.

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 is the first comprehensive book devoted exclusively to cancer in adolescents and young adults. It compiles medical, epidemiological, biological, psychological, and emotional issues of young adults’ oncology. The emphasis is on the differences of the "same" cancer in younger and older patients. Model programs specially designed to care for patients in the age group and surveillance of long-term adverse effects are reviewed.

This extraordinary resource celebrates and expands on Dr. David Spiegel's discovery that a shared intimacy with mortality creates very different concerns in the patient from those that apply in conventional settings. Spiegel and Classen introduce mental health professionals to the awareness as well as the tools they will need to facilitate groups coping with existential crises. The result is a model for helping that actually helps.

In Meeting Psychosocial Needs of Women with Breast Cancer, the National Cancer Policy Board of the Institute of Medicine examines the psychosocial consequences of the cancer experience. The book focuses specifically on breast cancer in women because this group has the largest survivor population (over 2 million) and this disease is the most extensively studied cancer from the standpoint of psychosocial effects. The book characterizes the psychosocial consequences of a diagnosis of breast cancer, describes psychosocial services and how they are delivered, and evaluates their effectiveness. It assesses the status of professional education and training and applied clinical and health services research and proposes policies to improve the quality of care and quality of life for women with breast cancer and their families. Because cancer of the breast is likely a good model for cancer at other sites, recommendations for this cancer should be applicable to the psychosocial care provided generally to individuals with cancer. For breast cancer, and indeed probably for any cancer, the report finds that psychosocial services can provide significant benefits in quality of life and success in coping with serious and life-threatening disease for patients and their families.

Cancer is the leading cause of death in the United States. The improvement of screening procedures and treatments have led to higher survival rates, and consequently to an increased number of individuals who fear that their cancer might come back. Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is defined as the fear, worry, or concern that cancer may come back or progress. FCR has been found to be the number one unmet need of cancer survivors. High levels of FCR are associated with greater psychological distress, impaired functioning, decreased quality of life, and increased medical consultations, psychotropic usage and health-care costs. It is therefore crucial to offer these patients an appropriate and effective treatment. The books first propose a theoretical model of FCR that identifies the five main targets of intervention in this program: 1) cognitive interpretation; 2) behavioural avoidance; 3) cognitive avoidance; 4) reassurance and control seeking; 5) intolerance of uncertainty. Then, each target is discussed and specific cognitive-behavioural therapy strategies are suggested that focus on each of them based on the best available empirical evidence for the treatment of anxiety disorders (e.g., generalized anxiety disorder) and cancer-related anxiety. This book will be of interest to clinicians working with cancer patients such as psychologists and other health care providers as well as cancer patients and survivors. Graduate students in clinical health psychology, and connecting disciplines such as psycho-oncology, psychiatry, nursing, social work, rehabilitation, spiritual care, and sexology might also find this text of value.