title: Facilitating the integration of emotional states in patients' personal disease experience with cancer: a new brief intervention for managing psychological distress.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This paper describes an intervention performed at an Italian oncological institute to manage psychological distress related to the oncological experience. Its objectives are to encourage and normalize awareness of the importance of emotional aspects of the cancer experience, to provide psycho-education to patients on the importance of psycho-social care in promoting well-being, and to introduce our psychology service and promote its usage.
  
  
  METHODS
  The intervention consists of three consecutive steps: the psychological distress screening; the clinical interview, which is conducted according to Rogers' client-centered model; and the collection of data regarding the appreciation and usefulness of the initiative, performed through a feedback questionnaire and the codification of the interview contents.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Between September 2011 and February 2012, the intervention was administered to 484 consecutive new inpatients. Among them, the prevalence of psychological distress and its components of anxiety and depression are comparable to those found in the literature. The low percentage of participants who refuse the screening (15.4 %) as well as of those who do not wish to have the results returned to them (3.1 %), together with the high scores regarding the usefulness and effectiveness given to the intervention (all >80/100), documents the positive reception of this activity. Lastly, the analysis of the contents of the exit interview shows that a wide range of themes, far more varied and heterogeneous than just anxiety and/or depression symptoms, was discussed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Even though this was a clinical and not a research activity, it still offers important descriptive data.
authors: Unit of Oncological Psychology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Aviano, Pordenone, Italy. annunziata@cro.it
authors: Maria Antonietta
authors: MA
authors: Annunziata
authors: Barbara
authors: B
authors: Muzzatti
authors: Lorena
authors: L
authors: Giovannini
authors: Sara
authors: S
authors: Mella
authors: Francesca
authors: F
authors: Bomben
authors: Cristiana
authors: C
authors: Flaiban
authors: Andrea
authors: A
authors: Veronesi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
references: Cancer. 1998 May 15;82(10):1904-8
references: 9587123
references: J Psychosom Res. 2003 Nov;55(5):403-9
references: 14581094
references: J Clin Psychiatry. 2001;62 Suppl 8:64-7
references: 12108825
references: Onkologie. 2008 Jun;31(6):343-4
references: 18547978
references: Acta Psychiatr Scand. 1983 Jun;67(6):361-70
references: 6880820
references: Cancer. 2005 Dec 15;104(12):2872-81
references: 16284994
references: Tumori. 2012 Jan-Feb;98(1):119-25
references: 22495712
references: J Psychosom Res. 2009 Mar;66(3):255-8
references: 19232239