Relationship between psychosocial distress, treatment need and use of psychotherapeutic interventions within a psychosomatic liaison service in hematological oncology.
BACKGROUND
Psychosocial distress is common in patients with hematological malignancies in the acute phase of the disease. The aim of the study was to evaluate the treatment need and the realization of psychotherapeutic interventions of a routine psychosomatic liaison service delivery in hematological oncology.


METHODS
72 patients of the transplantation ward and of the general hematological oncological ward were consecutively included in the study. Assessments involved both self- and observer rating instruments.


RESULTS
The need for psychotherapeutic treatment was 38 or 49%, depending on patients' or professional's view, respectively. 39% of the patients underwent psychotherapeutic treatment. But there was a great discrepancy between the treatment need estimated by observer and patients and the actual psychotherapeutic interventions.


CONCLUSIONS
The utilization of psychotherapeutic interventions seems to be subject to a complex interaction between patient's need, 'objective' psychosocial distress and institutional conditions. The results highlight the importance of need for better identification of patients with psychosocial distress and better targeting of psychotherapeutic treatment.
Fritzsche
K
K
Abteilung für Psychosomatische Medizin und Psychotherapie, Medizinischen Klinik am Universitätsklinikum Freiburg, Germany. kf@psysom.ukl.uni-freiburg.de
Struss
Y
Y
Hammel
A
A
Bertz
H
H
Stein
B
B
D001294:Attitude to Health; D015984:Causality; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D019337:Hematologic Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008495:Medical Oncology; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011567:Psychiatric Department, Hospital; D011584:Psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome