Psycho-oncology Services May Reduce Distress, Depression in Cancer Survivors

Outpatient psycho-oncology services, including pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy, significantly reduced distress in cancer survivors up to two years after their diagnosis, according to astudy published inPsycho-Oncology.“Studies which have assessed the effectiveness of psycho-oncology interventions most often did so early in the patient’s cancer treatment course and not in later phases of survivorship,” wrote Jessica Molinaro, M.D., of the Medical College of Wisconsin and colleagues. “As distress is prevale nt throughout survivorship, it is imperative that ongoing assessment of psychosocial concerns, intervention on psychological distress, and coordination of care between providers occurs to ensure the needs of the patient are met.”Molinaro and colleagues recruited 243 patients who had received a cancer diagnosis and were referred to psycho-oncology services. Participants were referred to treatment for a variety of reasons, including difficulty coping with psychosocial stressors or adjusting to cancer diagnoses. Participants had at least one psycho-oncology visit, and the majority were recommended to return for a second visit. They were seen by a physician, nurse practitioner, psychologist, or licensed clinical social worker, all of whom had expertise in psycho-oncology. Interventions included pharmacotherapy and/or psychotherapy. Patients completed the Distress Thermometer and Problem Checklist (DT + PL) and the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), at th...
Source: Psychiatr News - Category: Psychiatry Tags: cancer cancer survivor depression distress PHQ-9 psycho-oncology Source Type: research