Cancer World Newsletter - Editorial: 'Why me?' Helping patients find answers

When your patients suffer severe anxiety, depression or stress, you can refer them to a psycho-oncologist or professional counsellor for help. But who can help them make sense of the knowledge that they have a disease that will ultimately kill them? In this editorial, Roger Wilson, president of the patient advocacy group Sarcoma Euronet, says the traditional approach of leaving this aspect of care to ministers of religion is not the answer for most people. He offers some suggestions about how to meet the challenge of addressing patients’ needs for spiritual support, and calls for more attention to be given to this topic, which is widely recognised on paper, but largely neglected in practice. What do you think? How do you respond to your patients’ needs to make sense of why this had to happen to them and what will happen when they die? Would you value being able to refer patients who want it to an accredited counselling service to help them try to find answers? Have you suggestions about how such a service should provided, and by whom – or thoughts about what would not work?  You can read the article here. Press the comment button at the end and share your views.