PSYCHOLOGICAL INTERVENTION THROUGHOUT THE CANCER TRAJECTORY: A CASE REPORT
Authors
Florina POP1,*, Mihaela IANCU2, Cosmin LISENCU1
1 The Oncology Institute Prof. Dr. I. Chiricuță, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
2 „Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
ABSTRACT
Starting with the key recommendations from the literature regarding the psychological intervention for people with cancer, the aim of this paper is to present the trajectory of psychological interventions during the medical treatment (surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy) and a patient’s situation with breast cancer one year after the completion of oncological treatment. I.S. patient is aged 41 and has a diagnosis of invasive ductal carcinoma in her right breast, stage 2 B. The used tools in assessing the emotional/affective, cognitive and behavioral dimensions, the personality, interpersonal relationships and coping mechanisms have been the Emotion Thermometers Tool, BDI scale, ABSs scale, SCID II, SRGS scale, the semi-structured clinical interview, and the COPE Questionnaire. The main diagnosis is of mild depressive disorder, a unique episode having elements of anxiety without bringing together the criteria for a clinical diagnosis. The emotional condition monitoring has been performed in all stages of the cancer treatment. The psychological intervention has been held during 19 sessions and it has been a supportive and cognitive behavioral one. One year after the accomplishment of cancer treatment, but also of psychological intervention, the patient registered a score of 28 on the SRGS scale, which signifies posttraumatic growth.
KEYWORDS: study case, psychological intervention, breast cancer, posttraumatic growth
PAGES: 225-237
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