People who suffer from terminal illness often have significant emotional difficulty, usually due to accepting the variety of things that come from such a diagnosis. Notably, experts are coming to realize that oncologists are not very good at recognizing emotional and psychological concerns for cancer patients, who often develop mood or adjustment disorders. This is especially important since there is also a line of research showing that optimism and other psychological factors can aid in treatment and even longevity.

It is not entirely surprising that oncologists may not be particularly attentive to the emotional well-being of their patients since it is not their focus. Based on this it would be advisable for patients with illnesses like cancer to be proactive in discussing their emotional concerns with their physicians, ideally for a referral to a mental health professional to help with coping and to understand the greater meaning in struggling with the illness.

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    Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 5 Oct 2007
    Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.