Psychiatric Issues in Pediatric Oncology: Diagnosis and Management

Abstract

(from the chapter) This chapter discusses psychiatric issues in pediatric oncology. The presentation of intense distress of patients, parents, and others on the pediatric cancer unit remains all too common. From uncertainly and worry to suffering, grief, and loss, the emotional reality of the life-threatening and life-limiting nature of the disease is ever present. An essential skill of the psycho-oncologist is "normalization" of negative emotions and behaviors, in other words, reassuring an individual that their sadness, anxiety, fear, sense of helplessness, and possibly guilt are normal responses lo a profoundly challenging experience. It can therefore be a subtle matter to determine the presence of psychopathology in people presenting in distressing situations. How much sadness or distress is "normal," when does it cross into a disorder, what behaviors are "understandable," when is mental illness present, and how do we explain it to someone who is in such a situation? This chapter addresses these questions and specific treatment recommendations when a psychiatric disorder is suspected in the pediatric oncology patient, with support from available literature and clinical experience. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).