Do cancer patients really want counseling?

Area of Science:

• Psychosocial Oncology
• Cancer Patient Support
• Mental Health in Oncology

Background:

• Newly diagnosed cancer patients face significant psychosocial distress.
• Early identification of at-risk patients is crucial for timely intervention.
• Support programs aim to mitigate distress during the transition from hospital to home.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the uptake of a psychosocial counseling program among at-risk cancer patients.
• To explore characteristics and attitudes of patients who accepted or refused the program.
• To understand barriers to accessing supportive care in oncology.

Main Methods:

• Screening newly diagnosed cancer patients for risk of psychosocial distress.
• Offering a structured counseling program from hospital discharge to recovery.
• Analyzing patient acceptance and refusal rates, and qualitative differences between groups.

Main Results:

• Over two-thirds of at-risk patients accepted the counseling program.
• Refusers displayed more antagonism, apprehension, denial, and suspicion.
• Accepters, despite being at risk, reported higher levels of hopelessness.
• No significant differences were found based on cancer site, stage, or demographics.

Conclusions:

• A significant majority of at-risk cancer patients are receptive to psychosocial support.
• Patient attitudes, including denial and suspicion, influence program engagement.
• Hopelessness, rather than denial, characterized accepters, suggesting a need for tailored support.
• Psychosocial distress management in cancer care requires understanding patient-specific barriers and needs.