In Mental Health Awareness Week (9 to 15 May 2022), Thames Valley Cancer Alliance (TVCA) highlights the psychological impact of a cancer diagnosis, treatment, and fear of recurrence on patients and their families.
Cancer is associated with considerable physical, emotional, social, and financial difficulties for patients and their families, in addition to the challenge of multiple hospital appointments and gruelling treatments.
Concerns in cancer patients relate to physical symptoms from the disease, treatment side effects and fatigue, upsetting thoughts and feelings such as fear and sadness, social concerns for family and their future, spiritual concerns, and fears around death and dying, as well as living with chronic disease. These issues may lead to a range of psychological distress from mild to severe.
We also know that most people diagnosed with cancer feel their emotional needs are not looked after as much as their physical needs.
How TVCA supports cancer patients’ mental health
Our position at TVCA is that psychological care is an essential part of every patient’s cancer treatment and care. We are committed to making sure that people affected by cancer access quality psychological care across the region, provided by trained healthcare professionals. This may include support from clinical nurse specialists, counsellors, and therapists to mental health specialists such as clinical psychologists, offering a range of mental health therapies.
We believe it is essential for people affected by cancer to have access to the right level of care at the right time throughout their cancer journey from diagnosis, through treatment, to living with and beyond cancer, and at transition to palliative care and end-of-life.
Cancer can affect many aspects of a patient’s life, including their mental health. Issues include dealing with the seriousness of the disease, financial worries through not being able to work, struggles with isolation, managing pain, or changes in appearance, and relationship and intimacy issues. Distress ranges from common and normal feelings of vulnerability, sadness, and fears, to thoughts and feelings that can become disruptive, such as depression, anxiety, panic, loneliness, and spiritual crisis.
Working to improve support
TVCA is working with the six healthcare NHS Trusts across the region to make sure people have access to the right level of psychological care at the right time across their cancer journey.
Mrs Jen Graystone, Clinical Director for TVCA, and Dr Rachel Holland, a Macmillan Clinical Psychologist, launched the Psychological Care Clinical Advisory Group (CAG) in 2021. Members are expert providers in psychological care for cancer patients and their families in this region. The key purpose of the Psychological Care CAG is to make improvements in psychological care for people affected by cancer across the Thames Valley region.
“Having cancer affects all areas of your life and especially the way you feel,” says Dr Rachel Holland, Macmillan Principal Psychologist at Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, and Lead for the TVCA Psychological Care CAG. “It is common to experience a range of emotions and distress during this time and there is psychological care and support available to you and your family if you need it. This may be after the diagnosis, during treatment, or after treatment has ended.”
She continues: “Psychological distress is more common at key points in your cancer journey, and it may last for years afterwards. It can be linked to any aspect of your life, from the anxiety of waiting for test results, to adjusting to life when treatment has finished, to dealing with treatment related fatigue.
“Our main message is that you don’t need to suffer alone; help is available for people affected by cancer, from keyworker nurses such as your cancer clinical nurse specialist, specialist counselling, and psychological services.”
Cancer and relationships
Cancer and its treatment can have a significant impact on your relationships with your partner, family, and on your sexual relationship too.
Even if changes and problems are temporary, you and those who matter to you may need help to understand what is happening.
Support is available from a range of services to help you talk through:
- changes and problems with relationships because one of you has had cancer
- difficulties talking to and supporting each other
- problems talking to children, or parents, and other relatives about cancer
- challenges in getting ‘back to normal’ as a couple when cancer treatment has finished
- the impact on intimacy and sex life resulting from surgery, treatment, altered body image, tiredness, or anxiety
Where to get help for your mental health
If you or a family member is living with or recovering from cancer, or you are a carer for someone with cancer, you can ask your cancer clinical nurse specialist about support services available to you. Alternatively you can call the Macmillan Support Line 0808 808 00 00 for confidential support to people living with cancer and their loved ones. 24/7 support is available to you via the three videos on this page – and also on the TVCA Patients Health and Wellbeing page.
TVCA also works in partnership with organisations dedicated to supporting and improving cancer patients’ mental health and wellbeing, including:
Ends
Issued: 9/05/22
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