Psycho-oncology
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During the past 30 years, there has been an increase in the incidence of cancer in adolescents. While recent studies have illustrated remarkable resilience in youth living with cancer, they can also face daunting acute and chronic adjustment struggles, cognitive and school problems, family and peer relational difficulties, depression, post-traumatic stress symptoms, and other anxiety disorders. ⋯ The authors also explore ways that the particular psychological problems often faced by teen cancer patients, including anxiety about the future, may be especially well suited to mindfulness approaches such as learning to observe physical sensations, thoughts, and emotions, as well as cultivating compassion towards themselves and others. The paper concludes with an exploration of unanswered and potential research questions regarding the future use of MBIs with adolescents with cancer, and potentially with teenagers with other chronic diseases.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Existential behavioural therapy for informal caregivers of palliative patients: a randomised controlled trial.
Existential behavioural therapy (EBT) was developed to support informal caregivers of palliative patients in the last stage of life and during bereavement as a manualised group psychotherapy comprising six sessions. We tested the effectiveness of EBT on mental stress and quality of life (QOL). ⋯ Existential behavioural therapy appears to exert beneficial effects on distress and QOL of informal caregivers of palliative patients. Further longitudinal evidence is needed to confirm these findings.
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This study aimed to examine clinical validity and utility of a screening measure for familial psychosocial risk, the Psychosocial Assessment Tool 2.0 (PAT2.0), among pediatric cancer survivors participating in long-term survivorship care. ⋯ Data indicate that the overall proportions of families experiencing "universal", "targeted", and "clinical" levels of familial distress may be constant from the time of diagnosis into survivorship care. Overall, the PAT2.0 demonstrated strong psychometric properties among survivors of pediatric cancer and shows promise as a psychosocial screening measure to facilitate more effective family support in survivorship care.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Web-based self-monitoring for weight loss among overweight/obese women at increased risk for breast cancer: the HELP pilot study.
Excess weight and physical inactivity are modifiable risk factors for breast cancer. Training women to use self-help resources over the internet has potential for reducing intervention costs and enhancing maintenance. ⋯ A program to train women to use web-based weight loss tools achieved a substantial short-term weight loss among the majority of participants. Further follow-up is needed to assess weight loss maintenance over time.
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The aim of the study was to assess symptoms of depression and anxiety in patients with head and neck cancer up to 18 months after radiotherapy. ⋯ The rates of depression in head and neck cancer patients increase following cancer treatment and are related to tumour/treatment-related physical symptoms. Anxiety levels are higher pre-treatment, lower immediately following cancer treatment but rise to near pre-treatment levels more than a year after completion of cancer treatment.