Psychiatric and Psychosocial Intervention for Cancer Patients and Their Families

Cho, Seong Jin

Abstract

Cancer is a life crisis which inflicts major psychiatric symptoms and psychosocial problems upon patients and their families. Therefore all distressed patients with cancer should be appropriately treated with psychotherapy and psychotropic medication and properly referred for psychosocial care. In relation to Psycho-Oncology, psychiatrists constitute the first line of defense for recognizing the distress of cancer patients and family members that accompanies the diagnoses and treatment of cancer. The early diagnosis and referral of cancer patients who are distressed will lead to better satisfaction with care, fewer serious psychiatric problems, and improved health-related quality of life (HRQOL). The multi-disciplinary team, comprised of oncologists, psychiatrists, oncology nurses, social workers, psychologists, and clergy all agreed that mental function is a critical component as patients fight cancer, cope with treatments and deal with the uncertainty of survival. Actually mental health professionals working in the psychiatric, psychological, and psychosocial aspects of care back up the primary oncology team in this area. This article aims to provide the essential facts needed to psychiatrists to identify and diagnose the common psychiatric disorders, to know the optimal management for them, and to solve the common psychosocial problems of cancer patients and their families in the context of their total oncologic care.