The Effectiveness of Psychological Therapy in Patients with Gynecological Cancer

Daniela Pia Rosaria Chieffo, Ludovica Mastrilli, Letizia Lafuenti, Barbara Costantini, Gabriella Ferrandina, Vanda Salutari, Francesco Fanfani, Anna Fagotti and Giovanni Scambia

Agostino Gemelli University Policlinic, IRCCS, Italy
Fondazione Umberto Veronesi, Italy
Department of Woman and Child Health and Public Health, Agostino Gemelli University Policlinic, IRCCS, Italy
Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Italy

^*Correspondance to: Daniela Pia Rosaria Chieffo 

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Abstract:

Objective: The psycho-emotional burden begins when the cancer diagnosis arrives and it accompanies the women throughout the diagnostic and therapeutic path. It continues over time because the patients have to learn to accept the physical changes, the worsening of quality of life and different needs. In these cases, in fact, a supporting clinical psychological intervention is necessary
to drive women through the process of adaptation of treatments, which are not always linear, but it is specific to the type of neoplasia of each patient. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of psychological support in patients with gynecological cancer also according to the site of the tumor, in terms of reducing levels of distress, anxiety, and depression.
Methods: Two hundred six women with gynecological cancer who were admitted to the Female Tumors Day Hospital or oncological gynecology ward of Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli Foundation IRCCS were recruited. All patients completed questionnaires to assess distress, anxiety and depression at T0 and T1 times. Some of these patients had psychological support sessions between T0 and T1.
Results: A significant decrease in distress (p=0.000), anxiety (p=0.000) and depression (p=0.000) was observed in the psycho-oncological intervention group, instead, in the control group, no statistically significant differences were found in any of the three scales.
Conclusion: Our findings show a significant decrease in distress, anxiety and depression for the intervention groups. In line with other study, these results indicate that psycho-oncological interventions might reduce psychological distress during an inpatient stay.

Keywords:

Anxiety; Depression; Distress; Efficacy; Psychological interventions; Gynecological cancer

Cite the Article:

Chieffo DPR, Mastrilli L, Lafuenti L, Costantini B, Ferrandina G, Salutari V, et al. The Effectiveness of Psychological Therapy in Patients with Gynecological Cancer. Clin Oncol. 2021;6:1854..