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Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences

Comorbidity Profile Of Head And Neck Cancer Patients With And Without Depression, Michaela Frenzel Aug 2019

Comorbidity Profile Of Head And Neck Cancer Patients With And Without Depression, Michaela Frenzel

Capstone Experience

This population-based retrospective study used SEER-Medicare data from 2002-2010 to assess depression, comorbidity, and substance use in the elderly head and neck cancer population. Out of 3,533 head and neck cancer patients, 10.6% had depression diagnoses two years prior to cancer diagnosis, 8.9% were newly diagnosed with depression within one year after cancer diagnosis, and 44.5% of those with preexisting depression had an additional depression diagnosis within one year following cancer diagnosis. Comorbid conditions (p<0.0001) and substance use (p=0.0017) showed associations with depression prior to cancer diagnosis yet, no significant associations with incidence of depression in this head and neck cancer population. This study affirms the need for continual depression screenings in head and neck cancer patients and suggests the need for increased research into the burden of comorbid conditions and substance use within the head and neck cancer population.


Considering Art Therapy For Adults With Fear Of Cancer Recurrence (Fcr): A Literature Review, Max Roberts May 2019

Considering Art Therapy For Adults With Fear Of Cancer Recurrence (Fcr): A Literature Review, Max Roberts

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is a major problem for many cancer survivors. As cancer treatments improve and more people are surviving cancer, FCR will likely become a larger problem in general for the healthcare system. Art therapists working with cancer survivors need to be prepared for addressing FCR as they are likely to encounter this clinical issue. A literature search was conducted and no research investigating art therapy specifically for FCR was found, indicating there is currently no empirically supported approach to art therapy for FCR. Mindfulness and acceptance-based therapies appear to be efficacious for reducing effects of FCR. …


Mindfulness-Based Interventions For Adolescents With Cancer And Teen Cancer Survivors, Daniela Ramirez-Ibarra May 2019

Mindfulness-Based Interventions For Adolescents With Cancer And Teen Cancer Survivors, Daniela Ramirez-Ibarra

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Adolescence is a significant period for identity construction and self development (Jones, Blunda, Biegel, Carlson, Biel, & Wiener., 2013). This critical development period is quickly disrupted for adolescents with cancer. With the challenges of undergoing cancer treatment, come abnormal daily routines and changes to the developing self, which may cause anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders (Jones et al., 2013). Even after an adolescent survives cancer, he or she may be likely to face chronic adjustment difficulties, cognitive challenges, struggles at school, social deficits, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression (Jones et al., 2013). To address the stressful …


Art Therapy Based Curriculums With Patients Who Have Or Had Cancer, Gabriela Espinoza Apr 2019

Art Therapy Based Curriculums With Patients Who Have Or Had Cancer, Gabriela Espinoza

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

Patients who have/had cancer are often left with emotional distress, as well as, anxiety, and depression amongst other effects. Art therapy based curriculums have been utilized with patients that have/had cancer with promising results of decreasing emotional distress and other effects. Five different art therapy based curriculums are explored through archival research approach. Through this approach, information is collected to explore five research questions that are presented to understand how these art therapy-based curriculums can help patients who have/had cancer. These research questions explore the type of interventions being utilized in the curriculum when the curriculum is being implemented in …


Empathy Heals: The Effects Of Patient-Centered Communication On Women Oncology Patients In Gender-Discordant Dyads, Emily Cooper Jan 2019

Empathy Heals: The Effects Of Patient-Centered Communication On Women Oncology Patients In Gender-Discordant Dyads, Emily Cooper

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

Patient-centered communication (PCC) is an important component of healthcare. It is defined as a version of healthcare that is both respectful and responsive to the patient’s needs, values, and preferences while encouraging shared clinical decision-making between a patient and their physician. PCC has numerous benefits for the patient, including but not limited to increases in trust, social support, self-care skills, emotional management, and reduced suffering. However, there are populations that face substantially reduced quality of PCC, such as cancer patients. This may be due to circumstances unique to cancer diagnoses, such as the nature of the disease itself, particular difficulty …