Group Therapy Applications In Cancer Patients: Example Of The Therapy Manual

Abstract

Psychological interventions for medical patients are relatively new compared to interventions for psychological illnesses. Cancer has a special place among these diseases, especially in medical diseases. Knowing that the cells in your body are getting out of control and getting worse is of symbolic importance like no other disease. When the death rates around the world are examined, it is known that cancer has a large place in this denominator. Considering losses associated with disease, cancer brings with it many destructions, physical and psychological losses. Various psychological symptoms such as depression, anxiety and hopelessness are observed in cancer patients. When the relevant literature was examined, it was found that psychological interventions reduced the physical symptoms of the patients. Adaptation strategies that patients frequently use (fighting spirit, avoidance or denial, fatalism, helplessness and hopelessness, anxious preoccupation) are very effective in prognosis of the disease. Again, it has been determined by various studies that cognitive behavioral therapy is effective in these patients. Based on the insufficient number of publications related to the subject in order to introduce and know the applications in the field, it was thought that it would be beneficial to introduce the psychological processes of cancer patients and an application example to the field experts/readers. In this study, it is aimed to address the concept of 'Group Therapy with Cancer Patients', which is a relatively new intervention, and to introduce it to the readers and practitioners of the field through a sample therapy manual.

Keywords

• Cognitive Group Therapy
• Cancer
• Group Psychotherapy

Kanser Hastalarında Grup Terapisi Uygulamaları: Terapi Manueli Örneği

Abstract

Medikal hastalara yönelik psikolojik müdahaleler, psikolojik hastalıklar için olan müdahalelere göre nispeten yenidir. Medikal hastalıklar özelinde kanser hastalığı, bu hastalıklar arasında özel bir konuma sahiptir. Vücudundaki hücrelerin kontrolden çıktığını ve giderek kötüleştiğini bilmek başka hiçbir hastalığın taşımadığı sembolik bir öneme sahiptir. Dünya çapındaki ölüm oranları incelendiğinde kanser hastalığının bu paydada büyük bir yere sahip olduğu bilinmekte- dir. Hastalık ile ilişkili kayıplar göz önüne alındığında kanser beraberinde birçok yıkım, fiziksel ve psikolojik kaybı birlikte getirmektedir. Kanserli hastalarda depresyon, kaygı, umutsuzluk gibi çeşitli psikolojik belirtiler gözlenmektedir. İlgili literatür incelendiğinde kanser hastalarında yapılan psikolojik müdahalelerin hastaların fiziksel semptomlarını azalttığı bulunmuştur. Hastaların sıklıkla kullandığı uyum stratejilerinin (mücadele ruhu, kaçınma veya inkâr, kadercilik, çare- sizlik ve umutsuzluk, endişeli meşguliyet) hastalığın prognozunda oldukça etkilidir. Yine bu hastalarda bilişsel davra- nışçı terapinin etkili olduğu çok çeşitli çalışmalarla saptanmıştır. Alana yönelik uygulamaların tanıtılması ve bilinmesi amacıyla konuyla ilişkili yayınların sayısının yetersiz olmasından yola çıkılarak alan uzmanları ve okuyuculara kanser hastalarının yaşadığı psikolojik süreçlerin ve bir uygulama örneği tanıtılmasının yaşanılan sürece faydalı olacağı düşü- nülmüştür. Bu çalışmada görece yeni bir müdahale olan ‘Kanserli Hastalarla Grup Terapisi’ kavramının ele alınması ve örnek bir terapi manueli(el kitabı) yoluyla okuyuculara ve alanın uygulayıcılarına tanıtılması amaçlanmıştır.

Keywords

• Bilişsel Grup Terapisi
• Grup Psikoterapisi
• Kanser

References

1. Allison PJ , Guichard C and Gilain L ( 2000 ) A prospective investigation of dispositional optimism as a predictor of health-related quality of life in head and neck cancer patients . Quality of Life Research , 9, 951 – 60 .
2. American Cancer Society. (2013). Cancer facts & figures 2013. Retrieved from: http://www. cancer.org/acs/groups/content/@epidemiologysurveilance/documents/document/ acspc-036845.pdf (last accessed October 31, 2016).
3. American Cancer Society. (2014). Cancer treatment and survivorship facts & figures 2014–2015. Retrieved from: http://www.cancer.org/acs/groups/content/@research/ documents/document/acspc-042801.pdf (last accessed October 31, 2016).
4. Antoni MH et al ( 2001 ) Cognitive-behavioural stress management intervention decreases the prevalence of depression and enhances benefit finding among women under treatment for early-stage breast cancer. Health Psychology , 20, 20 – 32 .
5. Bartley, T. (2011). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for cancer: Gently turning towards. John Wiley & Sons.
6. Blank TO, Kwan L, Ganz PA, Stanton AL, Park CL, Yanez B et al. Facets of spirituality as predictors of adjustment to cancer: relative contributions of having faith and finding meaning. J Consult Clin Psychol 2009; 77:730-741.
7. Cancer Institute NSW. (2015). What are the different stages of cancer. Retrieved from:https://www.cancerinstitute.org.au/understanding-cancer/what-are-the-differentstages- of-cancer (last accessed October 31, 2016).
8. Carver, C. S., Pozo, C., Harris, S. D., Noriega, V., Scheier, M. F., Robinson, D. S., Ketcham, A. S., Moffat, F. L., & Clark, K. C. (1993). How coping mediates the effects of optimism on distress: A study of women with early stage breast cancer. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 65, 375-390.

9. Cohen, S., & Rodriguez, M. S. (1995). Pathways linking affective disturbances and physical disorders. Health Psychology, 14(5), 374.
10. Compas BE, Haaga DAF, Keefe FJ, Leitenberg H, Williams DA. Sampling of empirically supported psychological treatments from health psychology: smoking, chronic pain, cancer, and bulimia nervosa. J Consult Clin Psychol 1998; 66:89–112.
11. Dobkin, P. L., & Da Costa, D. (2000). Group psychotherapy for medical patients. Psychology, Health & Medicine, 5(1), 87-96.
12. Edelman S, Bell DR, Kidman AD. A group-cognitive behaviour therapy programme with metastatic breast cancer patients. Psychooncology 1999; 8:295–305.
13. Goedendorp MM, Gielissen MF, Verhagen CA, Bleijenberg G. Psychosocial interventions for reducing fatigue during cancer treatment in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2009; (1):CD006953.
14. Greer S and Watson M ( 1987 ) Mental adjustment to cancer: its measurement and prognostic importance . Cancer Surveys , 6, 439 – 53.
15. Groth-Marnat, G., & Edkins, G. (1996). Professional psychologists in general health care settings: A review of the financial efficacy of direct treatment interventions. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 27(2), 161.
16. Heim E , Valach L and Schaffner L ( 1997 ) Coping and psychological adaptation: longitudinal effects over time and stages in breast cancer . Psychosomatic Medicine , 59 , 408 – 18 .
17. House, J. S., Landis, K. R., & Umberson, D. (1988). Social relationships and health. Science, 241(4865), 540-545. Irving LM , Snyder CR and Crowson JJ ( 1998 ) Hope and coping with cancer by college women . Journal of Personality , 66, 195 – 214 .
18. Jacobsen PB, Jim HS. Psychosocial interventions for anxiety and depression in adult cancer patients: achievements and challenges. Ca Cancer J Clin 2008; 58:214–230.
19. Kabat - Zinn , J. ( 1990 ). Full catastrophe living: Using the wisdom if your body and mind to face stress, pain and illness . New York : Delta .
20. Katz, J., Ritvo, P. G, Irvine, M. J., & Jackson, M. (1996). Coping with chronic pain. In M. Zeidner & N. S. Endler (Eds.), Handbook of coping (pp. 252- 279). New York: Wiley.
21. Klein, R. H., Bernard, H. S., & Singer, D. L. (1992). Handbook of contemporary group psychotherapy: Contributions from object relations, self psychology, and social systems theories. International Universities Press, Inc.
22. Linton, S. J., & Nordin, E. (2006). A 5-year follow-up evaluation of the health and economic consequences of an early cognitive behavioral intervention for back pain: a randomized, controlled trial. Spine, 31(8), 853-858.
23. Morely, S., Eccleston, C., & Williams, A. (1999). Systematic review and meta-analysis of cognitive behaviour therapy and behaviour therapy for chronic pain in adults, excluding headache. Pain, 80, 1-13.
24. Moorey S and Greer S ( 2002 ) Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for People with Cancer . Oxford : Oxford University Press . Reifman, A. (1995). Social relationships, recovery from illness, and survival: A literature review. Annals of behavioral medicine, 17(2), 124-131.
25. Ries, S. J., & Brandts, C. H. (2004). Oncolytic viruses for the treatment of cancer: current strategies and clinical trials. Drug discovery today, 9(17), 759-768.
26. Roesch SC et al ( 2005 ) Coping with prostate cancer: a meta-analytic review . Journal of Behavioural Medicine , 28, 281 – 93.
27. Scheier, M. E, Magovern, G. J., Sr., Abbott, R. A., Matthews, K. A., Owens, J. F., Lefebvre, R. C., & Carver, C. S. (1989) Dispositional optimism and recovery from coronary artery bypass surgery: The beneficial effects on physical and psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 57, 1024-1040.
28. Shennan , C. , Payne , S. , & Fenlon , D. ( 2010 ). What is the evidence for the use of mindfulness - based interventions in cancer care? A review . Psycho - Oncology DOI:10.1002/pon.1819.
29. Spiegel D. Psychosocial support for patients with cancer. Cancer 1994; 74:1453-1457.
30. Taylor SE , Lichtman RR and Wood JV ( 1984 ) Attributions, beliefs about control and adjustment to breast cancer. J ournal of Personality and Social Psychology , 46, 489 – 502 .
31. Uitterhoeve RJ, Vernooy M, Litjens M, Potting K, Bensing J, De Mulder P et al. Psychosocial interventions for patients with advanced cancer - a systematic review of the literature. Br J Cancer 2004; 91:1050–1062.
32. Uyer M, Uslu R, Yıldırım-Kuzeyli Y. Kanser ve Palyatif Bakım. İzmir, Meta Basım Matbaacılık Hizmetleri, 2006.
33. Watson M , Greer S , Pruyn J and Van den Borne B ( 1990 ) Locus of control and adjustment to cancer . Psychological Reports , 66, 39 – 48 .
34. Watson M et al ( 1999 ) Influence of psychological response on survival in breast cancer: a population-based cohort study . Lancet , 354, 1331.
35. World Health Organization. Reproductive Health, World Health Organization, World Health Organization. Chronic Diseases, & Health Promotion. (2006). Comprehensive cervical cancer control: a guide to essential practice. World Health Organization.