Page 164 - EJMO-9-3

Eurasian Journal of
Medicine and Oncology Psychological care for cancer patients

necessitating high-quality psychological services to psychological services provided in this context is necessary
enhance their well-being and adherence to treatment. The for identifying factors to enhance and advance professional
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synergy between psychotherapist-patient communication performance in specialized psychiatric care. The PALLI-
and psychotherapist competence is also pivotal. One study COM study, a randomized controlled trial on the effects
found that interventions combining communication of communication training for oncologists, aimed to
training (e.g., delivering bad news) with competency- improve early discussions about palliative care and end-of-
building units (e.g., symptom management) resulted in life issues. The training consisted of two 90-min sessions.
53% greater improvement in patient-reported outcomes Results demonstrated significant improvements in
standardized mean difference. Another study reported communication skills, including emotional engagement,
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that psychotherapist competence in relationships (α = 0.88) empathy, and addressing end-of-life topics. The study
and clarity of communication (α = 0.82) together explained suggests that this brief training can be effectively integrated
68% of the variance in patient confidence (R = 0.68), into routine oncology education to improve patient care. 11
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indicating a substantial effect. The quality of psychological Recent reviews and studies have highlighted the
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services for cancer patients on their emotional resilience, importance of therapeutic alliance and effective
coping mechanisms, and quality of life reduces symptoms communication between psychotherapists and cancer
of anxiety and depression by about 30 – 50%. However, patients in improving psychiatric care. One study
the variations in service delivery and accessibility, along found that patients evaluated their relationship with
with psychotherapists’ feedback, can influence outcomes, psychotherapists positively, underscoring the importance
necessitating predictive models to assess and improve of this bond. Another survey identified core competencies
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service quality. Studies have highlighted that factors, such for psychotherapists in palliative care, most notably the
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as therapeutic alliance, intervention methods, and access ability to coordinate care between disciplines. In addition,
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to care, significantly affect the quality of service. In a research demonstrated that psychological interventions
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study examining web-based therapy for cancer patients, significantly improve the quality of life for cancer patients
65% of psychotherapists considered patient engagement through diverse approaches. Furthermore, a study on
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and psychotherapist response as key indicators of quality breast cancer care revealed that doctors who exhibit greater
of care. In addition, psychological support contributed empathy promote better mental health outcomes in patients.
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to a 40% improvement in the quality of life of cancer These findings suggest that empathetic communication by
patients, with higher psychotherapist competence linked healthcare providers is key to reducing patients’ uncertainty
to better patient adaptation. Another study emphasized the
importance of personalized psychosocial interventions, about their diagnosis and treatment, positioning caregivers
where patients receiving tailored treatment reported 30% as key contributors to the psychological well-being of
cancer patients. Therapeutic alliance plays a pivotal role
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higher satisfaction levels compared to those receiving in the success of psychological interventions for cancer
general mental health support. This highlights the need to patients, accounting for up to 35% of the effectiveness of
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explore key predictors of quality psychological services for 16
cancer patients from the perspective of psychotherapists, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Psychotherapist
aiming to strengthen mental health interventions in competence and patient commitment to treatment affect
treatment outcomes by 20 – 30%. Recent studies indicate
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oncology care. Similarly, a review of 29 eligible articles— that machine learning models can assess psychotherapists’
including 14 qualitative, 11 quantitative, and 4 mixed-
method articles—identified multiple influencing factors communication skills with over 80% accuracy in predicting
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on psychological service quality: patient-related factors, psychotherapy outcomes. Furthermore, psychotherapist
health professional factors, therapeutic relationships, competence has been reported to reduce psychological
distress and improve well-being by 40%, whereas deviation
treatment characteristics, organizational and systemic
factors, and care models. Psychotherapists play a from evidence-based therapeutic practices leads to a 15%
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crucial role in delivering integrated psychological reduction in treatment effectiveness.
care, encompassing assessment, diagnosis, therapeutic Telepsychology has demonstrated therapeutic outcomes
intervention, and ongoing psychological support. Their comparable to face-to-face therapy, making it an effective
role is particularly important for patients with chronic tool in cancer care. Psychotherapists’ interpersonal
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diseases (e.g., cancer), who face complex psychological and communication skills are associated with greater patient
emotional challenges. Through effective communication, resilience and increased treatment adherence, reducing
professional empathy, and high self-efficacy in handling dropout rates by 20%. The therapeutic relationship is
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sensitive cases, psychotherapists contribute to significantly one of the strongest predictors of therapeutic success,
improving patients’ quality of life. Evaluating the quality of accounting for up to 50% of treatment outcomes. In
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Volume 9 Issue 3 (2025) 156 doi: 10.36922/EJMO025110054