Psychosocial Support of Lymphoma Patient Undergoing Chemotherapy

This report focuses on the crucial role of psychosocial support for a 50-year-old man diagnosed with lymphoma and undergoing chemotherapy. It begins with an introduction to psychosocial support as a vital nursing intervention, emphasizing its impact on a patient's mental, social, emotional, and spiritual well-being. The report defines lymphoma, detailing its types, symptoms, causes, and diagnostic and treatment methods, particularly chemotherapy. It highlights the importance of psychosocial care, which encompasses psychological, social, and spiritual support, and the nurse's role in providing it. The report discusses the benefits of such care, including reduced distress and improved quality of life, and addresses physical, social, cognitive, spiritual, emotional, and mental health issues. It outlines essential components of effective psychosocial care, such as good communication skills, empathy, trust, and the provision of medical information. The report concludes by emphasizing the significance of psychosocial treatment in nurturing the minds of chemotherapy patients, reducing pain and stress, and promoting a better quality of life. References to supporting materials are included at the end of the report.

Psychosocial
support of a 50
year old man
with lymphoma
undergoing
chemotherapy
treatment Figure 1: Nursing implementation on cancer patient
Source: (alliancehospice, 2019)

Introduction
Psychosocial support is a type of nursing intervention
which makes a patient feel better and gives hope in life.
The nurses play a very crucial role in making a patient
healthier in terms of mental, social, emotional and
spiritual domains.

Lymphoma
• It is a type of blood cancer that arises from dysfunction
of the cellular growth in lymphocytes.
• The signs and symptoms of lymphoma includes
enlarged lymph nodes, fever, high sweating, weight
loss and a feeling of tiredness.
• There are two types of lymphoma: Hodgkin’s
lymphoma (HL) and non Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL).
• Hodgkin’s lymphoma develops due to heredity from
the family or through infection from Epstein Barr virus.
• Non Hodgkin’s lymphoma develops due to
autoimmune diseases, taking of immunosuppressant
medications, getting infected with Human
Immunodeficiency Virus.
• Other factors which lead to lymphoma include
consumption of red meat, tobacco smoking and many
more.
Figure 2: Stages of lymphoma
Source: (Organization, 2019)

• Lymphoma can be detected by certain
diagnostic tests like lymph node biopsy,
blood test, urine test, bone marrow
sampling and medical imaging.
• Treatment usually includes
chemotherapy, surgery, radiation therapy
and targeted therapy.
• Chemotherapy is a type of cancer
treatment method which uses one or more
drugs targeted against the cancer. It is a
one of the medical treatment devised to
reduce the effects of cancer spreading
cells throughout the body.
• Chemotherapy mainly aims to increase
the life expectancy period and reduces the
symptoms of cancer. Figure 3: Patient getting chemotherapy treatment
Source: (Christina Chun, 2019)

Psychosocial care
• Psychosocial care is a support which is provided to a patient and comprises of
psychological, social and spiritual care.
• Nurses play a significant and critical role in giving support to patients through a
conversation (Silver, 2015).
• The conversation includes the viewpoint and perspective of the patient towards the
disease, the family members as well as the hospital environment.
• The nurse should be active in adopting a good communication skill with the patient and
analyze the condition of the patient and plan out the necessary interventions required for
implementation.
• It is the responsibility of the nurse to meet the patient’s individual and specific needs,
meet the physical, symptomatic and psychosocial care (Legg, 2011).
• Provision of good psychosocial care to the patients have proven to be advantageous as it
reduces the distress and symptoms by increasing the quality of life.

Importance of psychosocial care
• Psychosocial care has a great impact on the quality of the patient’s life.
• It addresses numerous number of issues including physical, social,
cognitive, spiritual, emotional and mental health.
• Certain common physical symptoms are also reduced like headaches, sleep
misbalance and gastrointestinal problems (Mcmillan et. al., 2016).
• The nursing intervention helps a doctor to identify the risks of the patients
earlier and aids in faster treatment of the patient.
• Nursing interventions can develop a sense of optimism within the patient
and ultimately improve the health and quality of the life.
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is most widely used therapy for treating
cancer patients.

Psychosocial care provision
• The main requirement for providing good psychosocial care includes good communication skills which
comprises of both verbal and non verbal.
• Having a sympathetic approach towards the patient and provide all the medical information required by the
patient.
• A relationship needs to be produced between the patient and the nurse based on trust, openness, honesty,
understanding, presence, respect, social support and innumerous number of things.
• Body expression and facial expression along with verbal communication plays a crucial role in maintaining a
patient’s mental health (Sekse, Hunskår & Ellingsen, 2018).
• Nursing intervention can also help the patient to get relief from anxiety, depression, side effects of medical
therapies.
• Nurses needs to be more proactive in their approach towards the patients in sectors of spirituality, sexuality,
optimism and hope.
• Nurses need to address and solve the despair of the patient including the feeling of social isolation, lowered
self- esteem, fear of abandoned.
• They can arrange a psychiatric counselling or certain type of indoor games to make the patient engaged in
playful activities.

Conclusion
Cancer is an ailment which cannot be totally cured if detected. It has numerous
number of causes for its occurrence and has become very common these days.
The most common treatment of cancer is chemotherapy. There are many side
effects of chemotherapy treatment. Psychosocial treatment is very important for
nurturing the mind of chemotherapy receiving patients. It acts an important tool
in shaping the mind and helping to live a stress free life. It reduces the distress
and pain of the from all aspects.

Thank You

References:
alliancehospice. (2019). Hospice Care for Liver Disease | Alliance Hospice. Retrieved 28 July 2019,
from https://alliancehospice.com/conditions/liver-disease/
Christina Chun, M. (2019). The 10 most common chemotherapy side effects. Retrieved 28 July 2019,
from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323485.php
Legg, M. J. (2011). What is psychosocial care and how can nurses better provide it to adult oncology
patients. Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing, The, 28(3), 61.
Mcmillan, K., Butow, P., Turner, J., Yates, P., White, K., Lambert, S., ... & Lawsin, C. (2016). Burnout
and the provision of psychosocial care amongst Australian cancer nurses. European Journal of
Oncology Nursing, 22, 37-45.
Organization, A. (2019). Childhood Hodgkin Lymphoma Disease – Stages and Prognosis. Retrieved 28
July 2019, from https://www.acco.org/blog/childhood-hodgkin-lymphoma-disease-stages-
and-prognosis/
Sekse, R. J. T., Hunskår, I., & Ellingsen, S. (2018). The nurse's role in palliative care: A qualitative
meta‐synthesis. Journal of clinical nursing, 27(1-2), e21-e38.
Silver, J. K. (2015, February). Cancer prehabilitation and its role in improving health outcomes and
reducing health care costs. In Seminars in oncology nursing (Vol. 31, No. 1, pp. 13-30). WB
Saunders.