The Health Professionals Guide to Delivering Psychological Care for Men with Prostate Cancer
Suzanne K Chambers AO, PhD, Nicole Heneka, PhD, Jeff Dunn AO, PhD
Almost one-third of men with prostate cancer will experience some form of psychological distress. Compared with men in the general population, men with prostate cancer are twice as likely to experience depression and three times more likely to experience anxiety. The risk of suicide for these men is greatest within the first year after diagnosis. Over 80% of men report unmet supportive care needs in the first year after a prostate cancer diagnosis. At 15-years post-diagnosis, over one-third of these men are still reporting that significant physical and psychological care needs are unmet.
We know that unaddressed psychological distress in men with prostate cancer is associated with poorer patient outcomes. Yet despite routine clinical follow-up, many men with prostate cancer do not receive psychological interventions in a timely manner, if at all.
That’s why The Health Professionals Guide to Delivering Psychological Care for Men With Prostate Cancer was developed. It allows health professionals to incorporate accessible psychological support in the care they deliver to men with prostate cancer from the point of diagnosis and throughout the man’s treatment journey.
Appropriate for use by a range of health professionals, including nurses, doctors, social workers, physiotherapists and psychologists, the Guide shows how to construct a tailored intervention centred on increasing a man’s personal agency in self-managing the challenges of prostate cancer. It applies a cognitive behavioural approach and is designed to make use of the evidence-informed self-help book Facing the Tiger: A Survivorship Guide for Men with Prostate Cancer and their Partners. The strategies used are evidence-informed, and the approach allows for cost-effective, flexible support that is men-centred and strengths-based and incorporates an understanding and responsiveness to masculine values in the design of care. It identifies a man’s personal strengths on which he can build his resilience in the face of the cancer diagnosis.
The Guide includes:
- standardised session structure guidelines
- patient self-management resource Facing the Tiger as an Appendix
- Flexible delivery options
- downloadable and photocopiable session worksheets
- a downloadable fill-in PDF patient survivorship care plan
- download links to free external forms/tests
- external resource list covering issues such as sex, urinary problems, exercise and complementary medicine.
While not essential for use, remote online training for interested health professionals in the Facing the Tiger psychological care approach using this Guide is available via www.suzannechambers.com.au. Training course participants will learn how to help men understand their own responses to a prostate cancer diagnosis and how to focus and enhance their mastery of the situation to improve mental wellbeing. They will learn how to use the patient book Facing the Tiger to focus on specific challenges or problems presented by men as most important.
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Psychological Care Resource
About the Author
Professor Suzanne K Chambers AO, PhDProfessor Jeff Dunn AO is the CEO of Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia and President-Elect of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC). His work in cancer control spans 30 years, during which time he has dedicated his career to the development of strategies that underpin cancer survival and improve awareness of the disease. He is a recognised World Cancer Leader and, prior to his appointment as UICC President-Elect, served as Treasurer of the UICC for four years and as an Elected Director for six. Professor Dunn also serves as the Professor and Chair of Social and Behavioural Science at the University of Southern Queensland, where his work has a central focus on the social and behavioural aspects of cancer, covering the continuum of research, prevention, early detection, supportive care, and quality of life. He is actively involved in research in this field and is also a Director of the West Moreton Hospital and Health Service Board and Chair of the Risk and Audit Committee. He holds an appointment as an Officer in the Order of Australia (2014) for distinguished service to medical administration through the leadership of cancer control organisations and promotion of innovative and integrated cancer care programs.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Understanding the Facing the Tiger Psychological Care Approach
Chapter 2
Building a Facing the Tiger Intervention
Chapter 3
The Foundation Components of a Facing the Tiger Intervention
Chapter 4
Flexible Component 1: Psychoeducation — Coping with a Prostate Cancer Diagnosis
Chapter 5
Flexible Component 2: Stress Management and Wellbeing
Chapter 6
Flexible Component 3: Treatment Decision Making
Chapter 7
Flexible Component 4: Managing Relationships Under Stress
Chapter 8
Flexible Component 5: Problem Solving
Chapter 9
Flexible Component 6: Managing Difficult Thoughts
Chapter 10
Flexible Component 7: Pivoting to Valued Directions
Chapter 11
Flexible Component 8: Masculinity and Prostate Cancer
Chapter 12
Flexible Component 9: Prostate Cancer and Sexual Relationships
Chapter 13
Flexible Component 10: Survivorship Care
References
Appendix 1: Resources
Helpful Information
Appendix 2: Client Handouts
Appendix 2.1 Tiger Activity Handout 1 — Awareness of Responses to Stress and Coping Strategies
Appendix 2.2 Tiger Activity Handout 2 — Goal Setting
Appendix 2.3 Tiger Relaxation Handout
Appendix 2.4 Tiger Activity Handout 3 — Mindfulness Focussing
Appendix 2.5 Tiger Activity Handout 4 — Goal Setting to De-stress
Appendix 2.6 Tiger Activity Handout 5 — Treatment Decision Making
Appendix 2.7 Tiger Activity Handout 6 — Problem Solving
Appendix 2.8 Tiger Activity Handout 7 — Automatic Thinking
Appendix 2.9 Tiger Activity Handout 8 — Identifying Patterns of Thinking
Appendix 2.10 Tiger Activity Handout 9 — Getting Unstuck
Appendix 2.11 Worksheet: Masculinity in Health Inventory
Appendix 2.12 Tiger Activity Handout 10 — Getting Sex Back on Track
Appendix 3: Prostate Cancer Distress Screen
Appendix 4: Prostate Cancer Survivorship Care Plan
Appendix 5: Patient Screening Tools
Appendix 6: Facing the Tiger: A Survivorship Guide for Men with Prostate Cancer and their Partners