Support for patients

Reduction of psychological distress

The news of being a cancer carrier, recurrence, physical deterioration, and the issue of loss in all its aspects cause uncertainty, anger, helplessness, sadness, and fear in the patient, which alter the balance and family relationships and limit and change the quality of life of the members.

Psychological interventions are aimed at reducing psychological distress, maintaining open communication with family members and the care team, and making sense of and integrating illness into one's life experience. IOSI collaborates with the Psychiatry and Medical Psychology Service in taking care of patients and their families. The service actively participates through counseling and psychotherapeutic and pharmacological support of patients and/or their families (both in outpatient and inpatient settings), in collaboration with psychiatric and non-psychiatric territorial services.

In addition, for many years it has collaborated with the Ticino League Against Cancer both with regard to multidisciplinary management of patient and family care, and to training and supervision interventions for volunteers.

Taking care of mental health

The diagnosis of cancer naturally activates fears and worries about the future. Uncertainty with respect to one's health status is often difficult to live with and share with others (partner, children, parents, siblings, friends, colleagues). Silence with respect to thoughts and emotional states related to illness risks locking everyone into their own worries, preventing them from activating the resources needed to cope with the disease.

The need for psychological support does not always arise at the time of diagnosis or when the treatment process is underway, but is often requested at the end of treatment. That is when, for some patients, they experience a confrontation with themselves and their identity changed by the cancer experience. Avoiding isolation during all stages of the disease is essential for maintaining and developing a good quality of life.

Psycho-oncology consultation can be activated:

• By the physician in charge of the patient who deems it appropriate, at any time during the course of care (diagnosis, treatment, follow-up).
• By the nursing coordinator who regularly notes the bio-psycho-social needs of the patient and family members.
• By the patient and family member.

Objectives of the consultation

The main goal of medical-psychological care is to support the patient and his or her family in coping with the destabilizing impact of the disease, fostering the process of adaptation along the different stages of the care pathway and supporting a good quality of life. In more detail, the objectives are:

• Recognize the effects that cancer diagnosis and treatment have on the patient's mental state and emotional well-being.
• Identify any psychiatric comorbidities.
• Set up psychological and psychiatric treatment.
• Enable better management of disease-related symptoms and foster adaptive resources.
• Contribute to good communication with respect to diagnosis, prognosis and course of treatment.
• Promote a good quality of life.