Receiving a cancer diagnosis has more impacts on a person other than just physical changes. The mental burden that such a condition can create is large and not to be overlooked. Psychotherapy is a tool that can help you navigate challenging emotions, build resilience during difficult times, and improve your overall quality of life.
Psychotherapy is a talk-based therapy intended to help you improve and maintain your mental health and well-being. Psychotherapy can be accessed as an in-person service or virtually. A July 2020 study analyzed the effectiveness of both in-person and virtual services to determine the best method of application. The study revealed that there was no difference in effectiveness between therapy session delivered in person vs. in a virtual format (Lleras de Frutos et al., 2020). It also highlighted that offering virtual therapy can help lead to greater accessibility of services.
Psychotherapy has also been shown to be helpful and effective in treating cancer-related depression and is considered the front-line approach for many patients. It is important that patients experiencing depression-related symptoms are consulted by a multidisciplinary team to determine the best cohesive plan which may include both therapy and pharmaceutical approaches to care (Panjwani, A., Li, M. (2021).
The research for the benefits of psychotherapy for cancer patients is endless and speaks to the vast array of mental wellbeing concerns it can help with. It can help patients coping with life changes, concerns with sexual health, palliation, anxiety (or scan-xiety as some people say), depression, and other concerns. It can also be beneficial for loved ones of cancer patients including children and spouses.
For more information about psychotherapy and how our team can help check it out here.
References:
Lleras de Frutos, M., Medina, J.C., Vives, J., Casellas-Grau, A., Marzo, J.L., Borràs, J.M. and Ochoa-Arnedo, C. (2020), Video conference vs face-to-face group psychotherapy for distressed cancer survivors: A randomized controlled trial. Psycho-Oncology, 29: 1995-2003. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.5457
Panjwani, A., Li, M. (2021), Recent trends in the management of depression in persons with cancer. Current Opinion in Psychiatry 34(5):p 448-459| DOI: 10.1097/YCO.0000000000000727