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Therapeutic Intervention Proposal

Decent Essays

Discussion
The current case study provides a description of a 9-week outpatient intervention protocol that was used to help increase quality of life and decrease symptoms of anxiety and depression in a 16-year old female being treated for cancer. The adolescent and young adult cancer population has been identified as a patient group that is particularly vulnerable to psychosocial distress, due to the arrest of developmental milestones that typically occur during this life phase. As such, the development and dissemination of evidence-based psychosocial supports for this group of cancer patients is needed.
To date, although clinical trials are currently underway to demonstrate the effectiveness of CBT in the adolescent and young adult population …show more content…

First, our findings suggest that screening for a family history of mental health concerns as well as previous instances of mental health difficulties in adolescents diagnosed with cancer is critical. Facing a diagnosis of cancer, the associated treatment, side and late effects, is extremely stressful and can precipitate the onset of anxiety or mood symptoms, especially for adolescents who may already be at psychosocial risk. Second, a cognitive-behavioral therapy approach that includes evidence-based treatments such as psychoeducation, behavioral activation, cognitive restructuring, and symptoms monitoring, can contribute to a decrease in mood and anxiety symptoms for an adolescent being treated for cancer. Additionally, our findings also suggest that taking a multi-disciplinary approach, whereby a patient’s treatment needs can be considered by diverse professionals that provide different approaches, including psychopharmacology, can be advantageous for treatment planning and outcomes. Finally, the use of PRO’s in psychosocial therapy for an adolescent being treated with cancer provides a unique opportunity to closely monitor symptoms while increasing dialogue and reflection about what may be contributing to symptoms. Future research should evaluate psychosocial interventions that can be implemented with adolescents and young adults who

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