Improving quality of life: adjuvant psychological therapy for patients with cancer.

Abstract

The present paper describes a psychological treatment programme--Adjuvant Psychological Therapy (APT)--that has been developed specifically for patients with cancer-related psychosocial disorders. APT is brief (average six sessions), directed at current problems and conducted with individual patients together with their partners or spouses, if possible. Therapy focuses on the personal meaning of cancer to the patient and his or her coping strategies. An outline of APT together with a clinical illustration is given. A randomised trial has demonstrated that APT produces significant improvement in psychological distress and thus in the quality of life of patients with cancer.

• Authors: S Greer
• Journal: Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (Support Care Cancer) Vol. 3 Issue 4 Pg. 248-51 (Jul 1995) ISSN: 0941-4355 [Print] Germany
• PMID: 7551628 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article, Review)

Topics

• Adaptation, Psychological
• Adult
• Behavior Therapy
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
• Emotions
• Family Therapy
• Female
• Humans
• Neoplasms (psychology, therapy)
• Psychotherapy
• Quality of Life
• Spouses (psychology)