Psychosocial Rehabilitation in Cancer Care

Psychosocial rehabilitation is some sort of disabling conditions which require rehabilitation. The term psychosocial refers to adaptation of individual to psychological and social responsibilities. Disabling conditions can be physical, mental or sensory. Rehabilitation is not mandatory for all individuals who suffer from cancer. Cancer rehabilitation centers are run by physician. They mainly focus on physical need of a patient of interdisciplinary team. Psychosocial rehabilitation in terms of cancer is referred as psychosocial intervention. It is different from general rehabilitation centers as it requires diagnosis, treatment and survival of an individual. They help in distressing cancer patients. Distress is sort of unpleasant emotional experience to cope up with cancer symptoms and treatment.

Scope of the psychosocial rehabilitation

It influences the individual in a positive way to adjust to diagnosis, treatment and survival. Physical and occupational physicians play a major role in psychosocial rehabilitation. Cancer treatment like cytoreductive surgery and intraperitoneal hyperthermic chemotherapy for bone marrow is known to cause physiological stress to individuals. Psychological diagnosis, treatment, survival and morbidity outcomes are deficits.

Models for psychosocial rehabilitation

For better understanding of physical outcomes, biopsychosocial model are essential. Two types of force help in easy determination of health outcomes namely

• Macro forces for instance culture and sub culture systems
• Micro forces for instance organ, cells and systems

Health care provider is macro level assistant whereas presence or absence of health care assistant may interrupt the micro level forces such as anemia. When hemoglobin level is low it may result in mild depression, fatigue. Biopsychosocial model provide conceptual framework in terms of health and illness after vigorous medical treatments. This allows health care providers to analyze anemia by medical and behavioral intervention.

Other model of psychosocial rehabilitation is Kornblith Vulnerability Model of Cancer survivors in-order to adapt one’s physiological, psychological, social and vocational needs. When an individual best fits the adaptation, they requires no rehabilitation. Healthy adaptation may be hindered by chance of recurrence fear.

Questions:

• How can patients who need and want services be identified?
• State model prediction for better understanding of psychological rehabilitation.
• What is the scope of psychological rehabilitation?
• Describe Kornblith vulnerability model.
• What are systemic review and meta analysis of psychosocial interventions?
• Name some measurement tools in psychosocial rehabilitation.
• Give a short note on rehabilitation program.