Medical-psychological help in oncological practice

Abstract

Cancer cause significant shifts in the mental functioning of patients, manifested in psychological reactions and mental disorders. It determines the need for the development and implementation of medicalpsychological measures. Various aspects of medical and psychological care in oncological practice are analyzed. In work with cancer patients use various psychotherapeutic methods, such as short-term psychoanalysis, cognitive-behavioral therapy, relaxation, art-therapy, music therapy, creative visualization. Psychological help in oncology provided in the form of individual counseling, support groups, family psychotherapy, psychological counseling for couples. Based on the general principles of medicalpsychological help in oncology, were developed different support programs depending on the stage of the treatment, specificity of antitumor therapy, and location of the disease. Psychogenic and somatogenic effects of cancer caused the need to add psychopharmacotherapy in treatment. Cancer causes complex, multi-level disorders in the mental health of patients requiring an integrated complex approach in the form of medical-psychological interventions and psychophamiacotherapy. Keywords: medical-psychological help, psychotherapy, oncology, psycho-oncology, psychopharmacotherapy.