Psycho-oncology
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The aim of this study was to provide insight into the relationship between information provision and illness perceptions among cancer survivors. ⋯ Improving the patients' illness perceptions by tailoring the information provision to the needs of patients may help patients to get a more coherent understanding of their illness and will possibly lead to a better health-related quality of life.
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In 2009, the APOS commissioned a survey of its members and attendees of the annual meetings in 2008 and 2009. The goal of the survey was to assess the scope of psychosocial support services for cancer patients in the USA. ⋯ A broad range of psychosocial services are provided in cancer treatment settings; however, despite National Comprehensive Cancer Network and Institute of Medicine recommendations, routine screening for distress is not offered in a majority of cancer care organizations. Despite the racial, ethnic, cultural, and linguistic diversity of the US population, most organizations have not adapted their educational materials nor their psychosocial services to meet the needs of a diverse patient population.
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Cancer patients in Hong Kong and Taiwan share traditional Chinese as a written form of language, but each region has its own sociocultural background. This study examined if the four-factor model (self, spiritual, life orientation, and interpersonal) of the Chinese version of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI-C), developed for Hong Kong cancer survivors, could be applied to cancer survivors in Taiwan. ⋯ The four-factor model of the PTGI-C is invariant among cancer survivors using traditional Chinese as a written form of the language. The differences in the degree of some posttraumatic growth dimensions may be because of differences in cultural factors and in psychosocial support for cancer patients between the two regions.
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This study aimed to examine the extent to which illness perceptions and coping strategies among women diagnosed with breast cancer explain psychological distress at diagnosis and at 6 months post diagnosis relative to demographic and illness-related variables. ⋯ Illness perceptions remained relatively stable over the study period, and therefore we are unable to clarify whether changes in illness cognitions are associated with a corresponding change in psychological symptoms. Future research should evaluate the impact on psychological distress of interventions specifically designed to modify illness cognitions among women with breast cancer.
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We examined factors associated with positive consequences for family members who served as caregivers of terminal cancer patients. ⋯ Family caregivers of terminal cancer patients experience burdens, but caregiving also has positive consequences. This study has important implications for the development of bereavement interventions that aim to encourage positive outcomes and reduce negative outcomes for caregivers.