Psychological distress can occurs at all stages of the disease in cancer patients, from diagnosis to the end of life period. According to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) panel, distress is “a multifactorial unpleasant emotional experience of a psychological (cognitive, behavioural, emotional), social, and/or spiritual nature that may interfere with the ability to cope effectively with cancer, its physical symptoms and its treatment. Distress extends along a continuum, ranging from common normal feelings of vulnerability, sadness and fears to problems that can become disabling, such as depression, anxiety, panic, social isolation and existential and spiritual crisis”.
The role of clinical psychology in the management of cancer patients covers with different levels: screening, diagnosis and treatment of psychological distress. This latter can develops as a clear psychiatric disturbance but also as subclinical psychological symptoms that are often under-recognized and, consequently, under-treated.
Given the role that psychological well-being may have on the cancer pathology course, it is clinically outstanding to screen, diagnose and treat clinical and subclinical psychological disturbances.
This call welcomes contributions to the following issues, all related to the psychological response of patients to cancer:
- Screening and diagnosis of psychological distress.
- The diagnosis of cancer as a “trauma”.
- Psychological treatments for cancer patients, including end of life interventions.
- Relatives burden, including the impact of cancer on children.
- The impact of cancer on interpersonal relationships, intimacy and sexual wellbeing.
- New technologies (mHealth, Internet-based tools, Telecare, etc.) in psychoncology: ideas, projects and applications.
Contributes investigating the psychological factors that may influence the disease process are also considered.
All types of contributions including Research Reports, Reviews, Opinion or Hypothesis & Theory papers are welcomed.
Psychological distress can occurs at all stages of the disease in cancer patients, from diagnosis to the end of life period. According to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) panel, distress is “a multifactorial unpleasant emotional experience of a psychological (cognitive, behavioural, emotional), social, and/or spiritual nature that may interfere with the ability to cope effectively with cancer, its physical symptoms and its treatment. Distress extends along a continuum, ranging from common normal feelings of vulnerability, sadness and fears to problems that can become disabling, such as depression, anxiety, panic, social isolation and existential and spiritual crisis”.
The role of clinical psychology in the management of cancer patients covers with different levels: screening, diagnosis and treatment of psychological distress. This latter can develops as a clear psychiatric disturbance but also as subclinical psychological symptoms that are often under-recognized and, consequently, under-treated.
Given the role that psychological well-being may have on the cancer pathology course, it is clinically outstanding to screen, diagnose and treat clinical and subclinical psychological disturbances.
This call welcomes contributions to the following issues, all related to the psychological response of patients to cancer:
- Screening and diagnosis of psychological distress.
- The diagnosis of cancer as a “trauma”.
- Psychological treatments for cancer patients, including end of life interventions.
- Relatives burden, including the impact of cancer on children.
- The impact of cancer on interpersonal relationships, intimacy and sexual wellbeing.
- New technologies (mHealth, Internet-based tools, Telecare, etc.) in psychoncology: ideas, projects and applications.
Contributes investigating the psychological factors that may influence the disease process are also considered.
All types of contributions including Research Reports, Reviews, Opinion or Hypothesis & Theory papers are welcomed.
