Abstract

The present treatment manual is intended to outline the implementation of an intervention to manage psychological distress in cancer patients. Cancer patients suffer from psychological distress, in part due to physical symptoms that impact well-being. This can create a cycle of poor mental and physical health that is bidirectionally affected by poor responses to physical treatments. Thus, it is necessary to implement interventions for cancer patients that can combat these and other psychological symptoms. The Community Resiliency Model (CRM) has recently emerged as a set of wellness skills that can promote physiological and psychological well-being, as well as minimize negative physiological responses to distress an individual experience. When individuals are diagnosed with cancer, they often experience nervous system dysregulation associated with physical and mental complications that arise from their diagnosis – like the experiences of those affected by other traumas. Implementing a CRM-based intervention to address cancer patients’ psychological distress is important to address gaps in care where physicians may not have enough time or training to treat their patients’ mental health symptoms. Since CRM can be utilized by health care providers not trained in behavioral health interventions as well as other professionals it is a model that is particularly conducive to building capacity, and therefore addresses current limitations to existing interventions, such as barriers related to patient access, time constraints, and resources (e.g., cost-effective interventions). For these reasons, CRM may be a more sustainable psychosocial intervention to address the well-being of cancer patients than many other traditional psychological interventions.

LLU Discipline

Psychology

Department

Psychology

School

School of Behavioral Health

First Advisor

Tori Van Dyk

Second Advisor

David Vermeersch

Degree Name

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Degree Level

Ph.D.

Year Degree Awarded

2022

Date (Title Page)

9-2022

Language

English

Library of Congress/MESH Subject Headings

Cancer; Psychosocial stress; Psychosocial intervention

Type

Doctoral Project

Page Count

x, 100 p.

Digital Format

PDF

Digital Publisher

Loma Linda University Libraries

Usage Rights

This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights.

Collection

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Collection Website

http://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/

Repository

Loma Linda University. Del E. Webb Memorial Library. University Archives

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