Benefits of Psychosocial Services for Cancer Patients

Contemporary society is aware that there are different types of diseases that people try to live with. Acceptance of the disease, managing emotions at the time of diagnosis, reducing worries are goals of psychotherapeutic program for cancer patients. The overall objective of this research is to identify and measure factors that contribute to activating resilience in cancer patients and their families and to evaluate the effectiveness of psycho-socio-medical services. The group of participants will consist of approximately 10 patients diagnosed with cancer, enrolled in social programs for the chronically ill, some of them being residents of Năvodari, Constanța, Romania. We will apply to these patients instruments to assess their emotional state, satisfaction and quality of life participating in socio-psycho-oncological support groups. The following questionnaires were applied in the three stages of the research: initial evaluation, evaluation after 6 months and evaluation after 12 months:Questionnaire on Distress in Cancer Patients-short form (QSC-R10); The Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale – 21 Items (DASS-21); The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II). The comparison of the results obtained by applying the assessment instruments during the first year of operation of the psycho-oncological support group reveals a significant difference between the scores obtained at the first assessment and the scores obtained at the end of the year, which validates our belief that the group meetings, the psycho-oncological intervention methods applied and the psycho-social and socio-medical information decreased the patients' distress, increased their ability to adapt to the new life context, and increased their quality of life. Integrated approach to the needs of the person, in relation to his/her socio-economic situation, health status, level of education and social living environment, through Social Services are proactive. Based on the needs of each person, social services can have a broad reach, including people diagnosed with cancer, their family members and people who have overcome the disease.


Keywords: cancer patients, psycho-oncological support groups