title: [Out-Patient Psychosocial Cancer Counseling Centers and their Clients - Services Provided and Service Utilization by Patients and Patients' Relatives].
abstract: Psychosocial cancer counseling centers represent an increasingly important part of comprehensive psychosocial cancer care. Research on the services provided by those centers is sparse, however, as is research on person-, disease-, and treatment-related characteristics of their clients. Therefore, the present study analyzes the services provided by 26 psychosocial cancer counseling centers temporarily being funded by the German Cancer Aid as well as selected characteristics of their clients. Analyses are based on data collected during 2011 by means of a documentation system specifically designed for the purposes of psychosocial cancer counseling. Testing focuses on whether cancer patients and cancer patients' relatives differ with respect to various characteristics and the services used. The results show that psychosocial and benefit counseling represent a major part of counseling services, followed by giving information and employing relaxation techniques. Clients seek counseling primarily in early phases of disease and treatment. Women with breast cancer are over-represented among clients. Analyses also reveal significant differences between cancer patients and patients' relatives. Psychotherapeutic interventions and grief-counseling are more frequent in counseling relatives, whereas benefit counseling is more frequent in working with patients. The results emphasize the relevance of outpatient psychosocial cancer counseling. They may also help support initiatives aiming at establishing psychosocial cancer counseling targeted to the needs of each individual client.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Rehabilitationsforschung und Prävention, Klinik für Tumorbiologie, Freiburg/Br.
authors.forename: JürgenM
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Giesler
authors.affiliation: Institut für Rehabilitationsforschung und Prävention, Klinik für Tumorbiologie, Freiburg/Br.
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Weis
authors.affiliation: Institut für Rehabilitationsforschung und Prävention, Klinik für Tumorbiologie, Freiburg/Br.
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schreib
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Medizinische Psychologie und Medizinische Soziologie und Sektion Psychosoziale Onkologie, Universitätsklinikum Leipzig.
authors.forename: Svenja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Eichhorn
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Medizinische Psychologie und Medizinische Soziologie und Sektion Psychosoziale Onkologie, Universitätsklinikum Leipzig.
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuhnt
authors.affiliation: Institut für Rehabilitationsforschung und Prävention, Klinik für Tumorbiologie, Freiburg/Br.
authors.forename: Tanja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Faust
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Medizinische Psychologie und Medizinische Soziologie und Sektion Psychosoziale Onkologie, Universitätsklinikum Leipzig.
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mehnert
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Medizinische Psychologie und Medizinische Soziologie und Sektion Psychosoziale Onkologie, Universitätsklinikum Leipzig.
authors.forename: Jochen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ernst
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003376:Counseling / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D010045:Outpatients; D000072858:Psychosocial Support Systems; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors