Importance of including Mental Health counselling as a Cancer treatment Protocol

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Cancer permeates every aspect of a patient’s life, with different stages causing various symptoms and side effects that are both physical and emotional. This, in turn, also affects the psychological well-being of relatives/close friends of cancer patients, including their carers. While primary care doctors and oncologists handle the physical aspects of a patient, counselors help them deal with the emotional aspects.

A cancer diagnosis can be very challenging for a patient and their family, right from the start. Patients will have a large number of questions about their diagnosis, treatment, follow-up and survival, changes in their life, life with and after cancer, relationship with their spouse, children, work relationships, finances, among others.

Mental health directly impacts physical health, which is why counseling is an integral part of cancer care. Any signs of anxiety and depression should be identified and discussed with the doctor or counselor concerned. If their psychological distress goes undetected or untreated, there could be significant negative consequences for both the patient and the family. If they are associated with some past psychiatric conditions, they are at increased risk of suicidal tendencies. Additionally, patients may sometimes have to deal with many anxiety, depression, and adjustment disorders that can lead to sleep disturbances, low self-esteem, and body image issues. All this makes it essential to develop psychological resilience in patients since it can improve the long-term prognosis of the disease.

Today, “psycho-oncology” is a specialty field within oncology that helps patients and their families overcome the emotional and psychological issues they face during their cancer-fighting journey. This is especially relevant in our country, where there are many stigmas associated with both Cancer and Mental Health. In addition, these professional counselors are highly experienced and trained to help cancer patients and their families deal with all kinds of disruptions that cancer can cause in their lives. They are taught to listen to their patients and to respond to the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual problems that patients may face. Research shows that counseling can help patients control irrational beliefs and negative thoughts that are an automatic response to illness.

In addition to personalized counseling, supportive counseling, CBT, and mindfulness-based relaxation techniques are some of the cognitive interventions that can help patients on their journey. The use of supervised psychotropic medications is possible, if recommended by doctors. Other alternatives that cancer patients should consider include family counseling, support groups, and art-based therapy that can help build motivation and resilience in patients.

Another essential thing to keep in mind is that if a cancer patient does not have a caregiver, they should be given access to advice and dedicated helpline numbers that they can contact, during the difficult times of their prognosis. In conclusion, using the above techniques and incorporating them into the patient’s lifestyle can improve medical treatment outcomes, quality of life, mental health, and reduce fatigue in cancer patients.

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