title: [Education for medical professionals who deal with mental care of cancer patients].
abstract: With the recent enactment of the Cancer Control Act, mental care for cancer patients has become the focus of increasing interest. For the practice of such mental care, it is essential not only to depend on psychiatrists but also to utilize the collaboration of all healthcare professionals concerned with cancer patients, in other words, employ the concept of team medical care. Put in another way, it is of prime importance for all healthcare professionals concerned with cancer patients to understand the state of mind and psychological aspects of a patient and to try to cope with the situation from their respective standpoints, in order to maintain and improve the QOL of the patient. Nevertheless, it is not uncommon that healthcare professionals not specialized in mental care are somewhat at a loss how to identify, understand and cope with the mental problems and psychological aspects facing cancer patients. One of the major roles to be assumed by psychiatrists for this purpose is to provide knowledge and techniques for other healthcare professionals who are involved with cancer patient mental care. Effective educational tools currently available for this objective include books, the internet and in-service training. However, as tasks for the future, training up psychiatrists for the active education of other healthcare professionals, the formulation of pertinent educational programs, and refurbishing of the relevant educational system are yet to be fulfilled.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Health Sciences, Hiroshima University.
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Okamura
mesh_terms: D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D010348:Patient Care Team; D011570:Psychiatry