The use of various psychotherapeutic approaches in the practice of psychological support for cancer patients: a scientific review

Relevance. According to WHO forecasts, the incidence of cancer is expected to increase by 35,000,000 cases in the next 25 years, this forecast threatens to increase the number of people dying annually due to cancer pathology. At the same time, according to statistics, about 9,000,000 people die annually in the world due to various oncopathologies. There is still no generally accepted system of providing psychological assistance to cancer patients, and there is a marked disparity in research on the effectiveness of psychological support for cancer patients using various methods and approaches. Goal. To consider various psychotherapeutic approaches and analyze their specifics regarding the possibilities of correcting psychological targets relevant to cancer patients. Method. Theoretical analysis of research results presented in the form of literature reviews, randomized controlled trials, and meta-analytical studies on the use of various psychotherapeutic approaches to the care of cancer patients. Results. According to the analyzed data, there are minor differences in the effectiveness of various psychotherapeutic (psychodynamic, humanistic, cognitive-behavioral) approaches to correcting various psychological difficulties in the context of oncopathology: in order to provide the most effective psychological assistance, it is necessary to clearly differentiate psychological targets at the diagnostic stage and select an individual psychological support strategy for each individual patient. Conclusions. The quality and life expectancy of cancer patients are determined not only by the success and timeliness of drug treatment, but also by the effectiveness of psychological assistance aimed at overcoming depression, fear of the future, feelings of impasse, hopelessness, as well as the formation of coping skills with negative emotions, harmonizing attitudes towards the disease, increasing psychological resilience and adaptation. At the same time, the effectiveness of psychological support and psychotherapy is influenced not only by the modality of the approach, but also by the features of the client-therapeutic alliance, the motivation and social environment of the client, the therapist’s experience, etc.

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