Journal of Psychosocial Oncology最新文献

{"title":"Sex on inpatient medical units among acutely medically ill adults: a psycho-oncology case study.","authors":"Abigail Shonrock, Dakota Leget, Deidre B Pereira","doi":"10.1080/07347332.2025.2528836","DOIUrl":"10.1080/07347332.2025.2528836","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Sexual health is an important part of emotional and physical functioning. For patients undergoing cancer treatment, sexual health is an often-overlooked aspect of care for a variety of reasons. It is further overlooked for patients who are undergoing extended hospital admissions. There are no current standardized guidelines or recommendations around patients admitted to hospitals for extended periods of time, and as such, is left to the discretion of floor staff or individual hospital units. Often, there are no guidelines at all, which potentially puts patients in unsafe or emotionally taxing situations.</p><p><strong>Case study: </strong>In this paper, we explore a case of a 21-year-old woman undergoing extended hospital admission due to complications secondary to a bone marrow transplant, and how the omission of sexual health from her care had significant implications for her emotional functioning. The patient and her family gave consent to participate in research.</p><p><strong>Treatment implications: </strong>We discuss the ethical, legal, psychological, and medical implications of the case, and how certain guidelines and conversations would have potentially improved this patient's emotional state during her hospitalization.</p><p><strong>Recommendations and conclusions: </strong>We conclude by providing recommendations for mental health providers on discussing healthy sexuality for chronically ill patients who might be subject to extended hospital stays. We strongly recommend that sexual health be an ongoing conversation between providers and their chronically ill patients who are undergoing extensive medical care or extended hospitalizations.</p>","PeriodicalId":47451,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Psychosocial Oncology","volume":" ","pages":"209-223"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144585272","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring peer loss and survivor guilt among young adult survivors of childhood cancer.","authors":"Alexandra Neenan, Michelle Byrd","doi":"10.1080/07347332.2025.2505728","DOIUrl":"10.1080/07347332.2025.2505728","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>There are nearly 500,000 childhood cancer survivors in the United States, and emerging evidence suggests at least 25% of these survivors have lost a peer to cancer. The current study investigated the nature of peer loss in a sample of young adult survivors of childhood cancer.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Survivors (<i>n</i> = 63) completed an online survey including measures of peer loss, survivor guilt (Interpersonal Guilt Questionnaire) and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS; Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5). Relations between peer loss, survivor guilt, and PTSS were assessed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Survivor guilt and PTSS were significantly correlated. Survivor guilt accounted for 6% of variance in PTSS beyond variance explained by other risk factors. Peer loss was not significantly correlated with survivor guilt or posttraumatic stress symptoms.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Survivor guilt is a significant concern for childhood cancer survivors. Increased screening and intervention are warranted to reduce the impact of survivor guilt and related symptoms. Further research is needed to clarify the impact of peer loss on childhood cancer survivors given its lack of association with survivor guilt or PTSS.</p>","PeriodicalId":47451,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Psychosocial Oncology","volume":" ","pages":"25-39"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144102778","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Breast cancer patients and caregiver inter- and intrapersonal spillover effects on anxiety, depression, pain, and fatigue during the first year of treatment.","authors":"Patricia N E Roberson, Kathrine A Lenger, Jordan Tasman, Gina Cortez, Rebecca Renegar, Kendall Brady, Jillian Lloyd","doi":"10.1080/07347332.2025.2501029","DOIUrl":"10.1080/07347332.2025.2501029","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Breast cancer patients and caregivers experience anxiety, depression, fatigue, and pain symptoms during treatment. The present study sought to determine which times during the first year of breast cancer treatment have the greatest risk of interpersonal spillover on patient and caregiver symptoms.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Self-report survey data were collected from 55 estrogen-receptor positive (ER+) stage I-III breast cancer patients and their identified caregivers throughout the first year of primary treatment (e.g., surgery, radiation) to assess symptoms of biobehavioral reactivity (i.e., anxiety, depression, fatigue, and pain). Surveys from patients and caregivers were provided at baseline (before treatment), 6 weeks after surgery, 6 months after surgery, and 12 months after surgery. The present sample comprised primarily white, middle-income individuals with an average age of 63 years old. Data were analyzed using longitudinal Actor-Partner Interdependence Modeling in Mplus.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Intrapersonally, preceding symptoms predicted poor future functioning for both patients and caregivers across the majority of time points. Interpersonally, patients' anxiety at 6 weeks (<i>p</i> = .04) and fatigue at baseline (<i>p</i> = .01) and 6 months (<i>p</i> = .04) predicted greater caregiver symptoms at the subsequent clinically relevant times. However, concurrent spillover occurs for all of the measures of biobehavioral reactivity at one or more times during treatment.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Anxiety and fatigue are vulnerable to longitudinal interpersonal \"spillover\" of symptoms, particularly for caregivers, starting early in treatment. We also find in this pilot study that concurrent biobehavioral reactivity symptom spillover occurs in some form throughout the first year of breast cancer treatment. It is common for interventions that target symptoms of biobehavioral reactivity to focus on the individual patient. However, given the degree of longitudinal and concurrent spillover observed between breast cancer patients and caregivers, we recommend future research test behavioral interventions that teach dyadic coping skills in addition to replicating findings with a fully powered prospective study.</p>","PeriodicalId":47451,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Psychosocial Oncology","volume":" ","pages":"1-24"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144175365","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Supporting parents with cancer: An adult psychosocial and palliative care provider needs assessment.","authors":"Anna C Muriel, Courtney Bitz, Michelle R Fredericks, Eileen Joyce, Kate M Lally, William Pirl","doi":"10.1080/07347332.2025.2579500","DOIUrl":"10.1080/07347332.2025.2579500","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>The growing incidence of cancer in adults under 50 years old means that more patients are caring for minor children while undergoing oncology treatment. Psychosocial and palliative care clinicians must be prepared to address parenting concerns in their patients. This survey aimed to describe the concerns that patients raised with clinicians, how equipped clinicians feel to address them, and their interest in further training in addressing parenting concerns.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Multidisciplinary adult clinicians in a single urban NCCN-designated cancer center participated in a live interactive poll about these issues.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Clinicians (<i>N</i> = 78) reported that their patients raised the following concerns: end-of-life (79-100%), communicating with children about the illness (89-96%), and addressing the children's emotional issues (86-92%). Many clinicians (57% of social workers, 33% of psychologists and psychiatrists, and 80% of palliative care providers) felt only somewhat equipped to help parents with their concerns. Most respondents (96% of social workers, 56% of psychologists/psychiatrists, and 85% of palliative care providers) wanted additional training in how to address parenting in their patients. The majority of providers (70% of social workers, 88% of psychologists/psychiatrists, and 100% of palliative care clinicians) wanted to be able to refer for specialized parenting consultations when needed.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Adult psychosocial and palliative care clinicians are asked by patients about complex parenting issues, and do not feel fully equipped to address these concerns. They are interested in further training and access to expert consultation to help them support the growing population of parents with cancer and their families.</p>","PeriodicalId":47451,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Psychosocial Oncology","volume":" ","pages":"521-529"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145446205","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"\"Pink is my least favorite color\": experiences of sexual minority women and partners navigating breast cancer.","authors":"Elizabeth K Arthur, Megan E Gandy, Eric Sette, John A Fuller, Laura K Flora, Julia M Applegate, Jennifer Suchland, Katie Klakos, Michele Battle-Fisher, Clara N Lee","doi":"10.1080/07347332.2025.2567399","DOIUrl":"10.1080/07347332.2025.2567399","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Studies describing breast cancer care experiences of sexual minority women (SMW) and partners of survivors are lacking. Using a community-engaged approach, we characterized barriers to quality, person-centered care and quality of life outcomes in sexual minority breast cancer survivors.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Sexual minority breast cancer survivors and partners participated in a brief survey and 60-minute qualitative interview. Data were analyzed using applied thematic analysis using NVivo software.</p><p><strong>Findings: </strong>Participants were survivors (<i>n</i> = 14), partners (<i>n</i> = 5), and individuals who were both survivors and partners (<i>n</i> = 4). Three themes describe the influence of sexual orientation on the cancer experience; influence of cancer treatment on sexuality, gender experience, and relationships; and advice for other SMW survivors and breast cancer clinicians.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Significant gaps in breast cancer care delivery were identified, warranting clinical education, resources, and interventions to improve SMW breast cancer care.</p>","PeriodicalId":47451,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Psychosocial Oncology","volume":" ","pages":"293-310"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12587211/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145253254","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"From theory to practice - establishing an oncology family caregiver support process.","authors":"Victoria Rezash, Brendan Hurst, Kelsi Ream, Katlyn Lenox, Josh Burton, Judy Reynolds, Delora Taylor","doi":"10.1080/07347332.2025.2548822","DOIUrl":"10.1080/07347332.2025.2548822","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Over the past 25 years, a growing body of literature has shown oncology family caregivers experience as much, if not more, stress than the oncology patient. This research has demonstrated the need to establish programs to support these family caregivers.</p><p><strong>Aim: </strong>To establish a proactive oncology family caregiver support process to assist family caregivers during the cancer patient's treatment regimen.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Based on the Iowa Model of Evidence-Based Practice, an evidence-based practice process was established in a large, downtown hospital's oncology infusion center designed to assess the distress and burden level of the family caregivers. Using the Caregiver Quality of Life Index - Cancer questionnaire, family caregivers were assessed for their overall sense of well-being. In the initial pilot process, family caregivers of patients with GI or lung cancer were asked if they wished to participate as they represented two of the largest disease group populations for this oncology clinic. Eighty-three family caregivers (44%) agreed. The sixty-six family caregivers who reported an increased level of distress were referred to the oncology medical social worker to assist with interventions as indicated by their responses.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The efficacy of this proactive approach of assessing family caregiver distress resulted in the implementation of 95 baseline interventions for the 66 participants. The follow-up assessments resulted in 25 interventions, a 26% decrease. Family caregivers reported a 13% increase in their reported quality of life at the time of their third evaluation with the lowest scores improving by 50%.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The need for ongoing support services for oncology family caregivers to help them thrive through the cancer journey was validated. In response to this need, as of September 2024, this process became a permanent feature of the hospital's oncology infusion center services which now supports family caregivers of patients in all oncology disease groups.</p>","PeriodicalId":47451,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Psychosocial Oncology","volume":" ","pages":"237-247"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144974050","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessing delivery of and attitudes toward a randomized intervention to increase mammography uptake among childhood cancer survivors: A report from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study.","authors":"Han-Wei V Wu, Kevin C Oeffinger, Joanne F Chou, Tara O Henderson, Melissa M Hudson, Lisa R Diller, Aaron J McDonald, James Ford, Nidha Z Mubdi, Dayton Rinehart, Christopher Vukadinovich, Elena B Elkin, Wendy M Leisenring, Gregory T Armstrong, Jennifer S Ford, Chaya S Moskowitz","doi":"10.1080/07347332.2025.2586559","DOIUrl":"10.1080/07347332.2025.2586559","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study characterizes utilization of, and attitudes toward, a two-part intervention of (1) mailed materials, including educational laminated cards for patients and healthcare providers, and (2) telephone counseling, that aimed to increase screening mammography uptake among adult female survivors of childhood cancer compared to attention controls.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Participants (<i>n</i> = 136, median age 35 years, range 25-49 years) were diagnosed with cancer between 1976 and 1999 before age 21 years and had been treated with chest radiation. At study end, participants completed a questionnaire asking about their use of and attitudes toward the intervention components. Fisher's exact tests assessed associations.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among 130 survivors who completed the survey, 45 (35%) received a mammogram. Eighty-five (65%) survivors recalled receiving both intervention components; about half (<i>n</i> = 73, 56%) found the laminated cards helpful and/or described the telephone counseling as positive or activating (<i>n</i> = 81, 62%). Of the 96 women who provided responses, approximately two-thirds (<i>n</i> = 64, 67%) reported little to no fear/anxiety regarding the intervention. Women were more likely to obtain a mammogram if they remembered receiving both intervention components compared to women who reported receiving one or no components (45% vs. 24%, <i>p</i> = 0.050), reported using the laminated card to discuss screening with a healthcare provider (72% vs. 51%, <i>p</i> = 0.086), or found the telephone counseling motivational (61% vs. 30%, <i>p</i> = 0.003).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>In summary, the two-part intervention was well-received and elicited minimal fear/anxiety. Receiving intervention messaging in multiple forms and sharing it with a healthcare provider was associated with intervention efficacy.</p>","PeriodicalId":47451,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Psychosocial Oncology","volume":" ","pages":"530-545"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12746764/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145557707","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Psychometric properties of The Self-Efficacy to Communicate about Sex and Intimacy (SECSI) Scale among patients in active treatment.","authors":"Karen J Meltzer, Brittany Hall, Molin Shi, James LePage, Jessica R Gorman, Laura Howe-Martin","doi":"10.1080/07347332.2025.2600372","DOIUrl":"10.1080/07347332.2025.2600372","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Sexual concerns are a key unmet need among patients with cancer. Women are less likely than men to be assessed for sexual concerns, due in part to a lack of appropriate screening tools. The Self-Efficacy to Communicate about Sex and Intimacy (SECSI) scale measures perceived ability to communicate about sex and intimacy during cancer yet has not been evaluated among patients undergoing active treatment.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>This study describes sexual, emotional, and interpersonal well-being of partnered women undergoing chemotherapy and evaluates the psychometrics of the SECSI in this sample.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Participants (<i>N</i> = 149) completed measures of mental health, sexual health, and relationship satisfaction.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Almost 60% of participants reported engaging in sexual activity in the last month. Participants reported feeling most bothered by low sexual interest. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated a single-factor structure was insufficient for the SECSI while exploratory factor analysis extracted one factor. Convergent and discriminant validity of the SECSI were also supported by this study's findings.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study indicates women undergoing chemotherapy are both engaged in sexual activity, yet bothered by decreased interest, and provides further support for the use of the SECSI in a group of women currently in chemotherapy.</p>","PeriodicalId":47451,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Psychosocial Oncology","volume":" ","pages":"502-520"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145783306","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Posttraumatic stress symptoms and unmet needs in cancer survivorship.","authors":"Hannah-Rose Mitchell, Ari P Kirshenbaum, Sara Zimmer, Michael J Sofis","doi":"10.1080/07347332.2025.2509985","DOIUrl":"10.1080/07347332.2025.2509985","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Cancer diagnosis can be distressing, leading to multidimensional care needs which are often not fully met. The experience of diagnosis and treatment may be traumatizing for some patients, leading to a greater demand for support during survivorship. Survivors exposed to trauma may also have a harder time addressing their own needs or require additional support for their needs which have been neglected by the available care.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>We examined the degree to which exposure to trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms influence cancer survivor unmet needs, and the role of unmet needs in survivor life satisfaction. Survivors diagnosed with cancer in the past year or prior (<i>N</i> = 1,138) from a nationally representative population (<i>N</i> = 11,708) reported Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES-Q-10) and PTSD symptoms (PTSD-8). Unmet needs were reported on the Survivor Unmet Needs Survey (SF-SUNS). Life satisfaction was measured on a single item. Chronic pain, sociodemographic variables, and self-reported cancer stage were self-reported and included as covariates.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In stepwise-hierarchical regression modeling, PTSD symptoms, advanced-stage cancer and younger age were significant predictors of unmet needs in the first year after diagnosis and in the years thereafter (<i>p</i>s < 0.001); but the influence of ACEs on unmet needs was overshadowed by the other variables in the regression model. Chronic pain was associated with unmet needs experienced after one year (<i>p</i> < 0.001) but not in the first year after diagnosis. Having more unmet needs predicted poor life satisfaction when controlling for income, education, and age (<i>p</i> < 0.001).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Findings suggest that cancer survivors with a trauma history and PTSD symptoms are more vulnerable to unmet needs, which contributes to poor life satisfaction. Trauma-informed care and PTSD treatment, especially in younger survivors and those with advanced-stage cancers, may mitigate the potential for unmet needs after cancer diagnosis and thereby improve health outcomes in survivorship.</p>","PeriodicalId":47451,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Psychosocial Oncology","volume":" ","pages":"55-68"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144209883","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"I hope you dance from the diary of an oncologist.","authors":"Nirmal Raut","doi":"10.1080/07347332.2025.2527119","DOIUrl":"10.1080/07347332.2025.2527119","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":47451,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Psychosocial Oncology","volume":" ","pages":"128-130"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144601928","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}