Chapter 17: Psychological and Spiritual Care
Overview:
- Discusses the reactions and risk factors involved in the diagnosis of gynaecological cancer
- Provides a comprehensive list of risk factors for psychosocial distress
- Includes suggestions for completing a thorough psychosocial assessment
- Explains how to address the emotional needs of the patient
- Covers spiritual and existential issues and how to address survivorship concerns
- Includes a list of possible specialist services available to patients
Description:
Cancer is a chronic condition that poses physical and emotional challenges to women and their families and friends. In addition to best practice in medical and nursing care, comprehensive cancer management also requires best practice in psychosocial care. In this chapter, learn how to provide extensive psychosocial and spiritual care to patients.
Topics:
- Reactions and risk factors
- Effects of diagnosis of gynaecological cancer
- Effects on patients and family members
- Assessment of psychosocial care needs
- Catering to individual needs
- Comprehensive psychosocial assessment
- Psychometric screening tools
- Psychosocial intervention
- Need for psychosocial intervention
- Forms of intervention
- Addressing emotional needs
- Initiating discussion of psychosocial needs
- Accepting personal discomfort
- Establishing rapport and trust
- Avoiding judgment
- Accepting limitations
- Addressing information needs; spiritual and existential issues; survivorship issues; and more specific needs
Speakers / Authors
Kim Hobbs
Kim is a social worker who holds a master’s degree in social work. She is a member of the Australian Association of Social Workers and the Clinical Oncological Society of Australia. For thirteen years, Kim worked as an oncology social worker in Sydney (Australia) at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and at Sydney Hospital. For the past ten years she has been working at the Westmead Centre for Gynaecological Cancer (Sydney, Australia). Kim has a particular interest in the issues and concerns of women with cancer.
In addition to her clinical work at Westmead, Kim serves on a number of committees and working parties advocating the importance of psychosocial care as an integral component of comprehensive cancer care. She is currently a member of a multidisciplinary collaborative research team that is undertaking a series of projects investigating the effectiveness of cancer support groups.
Katharine Smith
Katharine is a clinical psychologist who holds a master’s degree in clinical psychology. She is a member of the Australian Psychological Society’s College of Clinical Psychologists and the Clinical Oncological Society of Australia. Katharine has been working at the Westmead Centre for Gynaecological Cancer (Sydney, Australia) for more than seven years. She is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Sydney. Katharine’s research explores predictors of psychosocial outcomes and unmet supportive care needs in cancer survivors and their partners. She has developed two new research tools to assess unmet needs in cancer survivors and their partners.
Katharine’s clinical interests include the assessment of sexual difficulties, and she has been involved in the promotion of communication strategies and interventions for healthcare professionals who address sexuality in the healthcare setting.
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