Many cancer patients suffer from psychological distress during or after cancer treatment, so why is the use of psycho-oncological care among cancer patients so limited? A study by Anouk Schuit and Irma M. Verdonck-de Leeuw ‘Organizing psycho-oncological care for cancer patients: The patient’s perspective’ suggests one of the reasons might be the way psycho-oncological care is organized: it does not match the patients’ preferences.

Cancer patients often suffer from psychological distress during or after cancer treatment, but the use of psycho-oncological care among cancer patients is limited. A study by Anouk Schuit and Irma M. Verdonck-de Leeuw, published in frontiers in Psychology, examined the issue by conducting interviews with cancer patients. They identified that most participants preferred to receive psycho-oncological care:

  • By a psychologist experienced in supporting patients with cancer,
  • Individually in a one-on-one setting.

Patients reported the barriers to receiving psychological care included:

  • Social stigma: going to a psychologist has negative connotations in Dutch society,
  • Priority: medical treatment is usually the first priority for patients and physicians,
  • Time: some patients were not willing to give up spare time to receive care,
  • Exposure: having no prior (or negative) experience with psychological care,
  • Personal characteristics: less assertive people have trouble asking for help, feel like they are bothering their physician, or try to work on problems on their own.

Factors that facilitated receiving psychology care were:

  • having a good relationship with the healthcare provider made it easier to discuss psychological issues.

Healthcare providers can help patients by:

  • normalizing psychosocial symptoms (telling people it is normal to feel a certain way) and discussing with the patient the psychological impact of cancer on daily life,
  • learning about all psycho-oncological options available to their patient,
  • asking patients enough questions to determine if a patient needs psychological care,
  • informing patients at an early stage about options for psychological care.

The authors explain:

In total, 18 semi-structured interviews were conducted among cancer patients. Patients completed psycho-oncological care between 2015 and 2020 at the psychology department in a general hospital (OLVG) or a center specialized in psychological cancer care in the Netherlands (Ingeborg Douwes Center). The interview asked questions related to preferences regarding the institute where to receive treatment, the psychologist who provides treatment, and the type of treatment, as well as questions related to the barriers and facilitators experienced to receiving psycho-oncological care.

From the patient’s perspective, the organization of psycho-oncological care for cancer patients should focus on easy accessibility and availability, delivered by specialized psychologists, and integrated in medical cancer care. Online and group therapy are acceptable, but individual face-to-face therapy is preferred. There is a need to increase awareness of psycho-oncological care targeting both patients and healthcare providers.