Intervening to Improve Psychological Outcomes after Cancer: What Is Known and Where Next?
Author(s)
Chambers, Suzanne Kathleen
Hutchison, Sandy
Clutton, Samantha
Dunn, Jeff
Griffith University Author(s)
Year published
2014
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Cancer is a leading cause of burden of disease in Australia. The diagnosis of cancer is a major life stress with heightened psychological distress common and unmet psychological supportive care needs highly prevalent. There is a clinical imperative to provide accessible evidence-based psychosocial therapies to patients and their families in order to reduce distress and optimise psychological outcomes. A range of theoretical approaches have been proposed to guide psychological interventions in the context of cancer, including theories of stress and coping and social cognitive theories of adjustment. In addition, there is a ...
View more >Cancer is a leading cause of burden of disease in Australia. The diagnosis of cancer is a major life stress with heightened psychological distress common and unmet psychological supportive care needs highly prevalent. There is a clinical imperative to provide accessible evidence-based psychosocial therapies to patients and their families in order to reduce distress and optimise psychological outcomes. A range of theoretical approaches have been proposed to guide psychological interventions in the context of cancer, including theories of stress and coping and social cognitive theories of adjustment. In addition, there is a well-established body of evidence demonstrating that psychosocial interventions improve psychological outcomes after cancer, and clinical practice guidelines for intervention to reduce distress in people affected by cancer have been developed based on this evidence. However, despite relevant theoretical models, empirical evidence, and the availability of guidelines, evidence-based psychosocial care for cancer patients is the exception rather than the norm. The answer to this problem may lie in research translation. A model for research translation is overviewed in this article with barriers to research translation discussed and a case study presented. Finally, recommendations for how health psychology can contribute to psychooncology research and practice are proposed.
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View more >Cancer is a leading cause of burden of disease in Australia. The diagnosis of cancer is a major life stress with heightened psychological distress common and unmet psychological supportive care needs highly prevalent. There is a clinical imperative to provide accessible evidence-based psychosocial therapies to patients and their families in order to reduce distress and optimise psychological outcomes. A range of theoretical approaches have been proposed to guide psychological interventions in the context of cancer, including theories of stress and coping and social cognitive theories of adjustment. In addition, there is a well-established body of evidence demonstrating that psychosocial interventions improve psychological outcomes after cancer, and clinical practice guidelines for intervention to reduce distress in people affected by cancer have been developed based on this evidence. However, despite relevant theoretical models, empirical evidence, and the availability of guidelines, evidence-based psychosocial care for cancer patients is the exception rather than the norm. The answer to this problem may lie in research translation. A model for research translation is overviewed in this article with barriers to research translation discussed and a case study presented. Finally, recommendations for how health psychology can contribute to psychooncology research and practice are proposed.
View less >
Journal Title
Australian Psychologist
Volume
49
Issue
2
Subject
Cognitive and computational psychology
Other psychology not elsewhere classified