Active listening to cancer patients' stories.
Approximately two thirds of all Dutch cancer patients have severe emotional problems; shortly after their change from the treatment regime into the regime of medical controls. Half of them even need professional support. It is, therefore, important that a professional listens with empathy to the patient's version of the illness story. Story telling helps to overcome the existential crisis of being a cancer patient; it is an essential step in the revalidation process. Themes and open questions which structure the communication are suggested in this article.
Department of Medical Psychology, Utrecht University, The Netherlands. h.f.j.kroode@med.ruu.nl
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D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D009426:Netherlands; D011379:Prognosis; D012649:Self Concept; D012657:Self-Help Groups / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*