Psychological Treatment of Patients With Cancer

Mental health providers working in oncology encounter a broad spectrum of patients and situations.  From innumerable forms of disease at various stages of progression, to the wide range of medication side effects and varying prognoses, cancer treatment is incredibly complex. And practitioners–like the patients they serve–can be easily overwhelmed.

Psychological Treatment of Patients With Cancer offers a succinct but comprehensive guide to psycho-oncological practice. Designed to build a foundation of knowledge that tackles the depth and breadth of the field, this volume includes a range of psychological interventions aimed at helping patients cope with cancer treatment. Chapters describe assessment and treatment of common problems including depression, anxiety, fatigue, sexual dysfunction, and cover broader themes in cancer care including the impact on families. Brief, easy to digest, and highly approachable, this is a musthave resource for practitioners and advanced graduate students in the field of psychooncology.

Series Foreword
Introduction
I. An Overview of Psychosocial Oncology
An Overview of Cancer for the Mental Health ProfessionalEtiology and Sociocultural Factors Related to CancerStandard Medical Treatments for Cancer and Patient Decision Making
II. Psychological Assessment and Interventions for Common Comorbid Problems
Assessment and Treatment of DepressionAssessment and Treatment of AnxietySleep Dysregulation and FatigueSexual Dysfunction and Negative Body ImageImpact of Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment on the Family, and the Role of Social SupportPosttreatment Psychological SequelaeExistential Themes in Cancer CareFuture Directions in Practice and Clinician Self-Care
References
Index

About the Author

Ellen A. Dornelas, PhD, is the director for cancer clinical research at Hartford Healthcare Cancer Institute in Connecticut and associate professor of clinical medicine at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine.