Relationship between psychosocial distress, treatment need and use of psychotherapeutic interventions within a psychosomatic liaison service in hematological oncology.

BACKGROUND: Psychosocial distress is common in patients with hematological malignancies in the acute phase of the disease. The aim of the study was to evaluate the treatment need and the realization of psychotherapeutic interventions of a routine psychosomatic liaison service delivery in hematological oncology. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 72 patients of the transplantation ward and of the general hematological oncological ward were consecutively included in the study. Assessments involved both self- and observer rating instruments.
RESULTS: The need for psychotherapeutic treatment was 38 or 49%, depending on patients' or professional's view, respectively. 39% of the patients underwent psychotherapeutic treatment. But there was a great discrepancy between the treatment need estimated by observer and patients and the actual psychotherapeutic interventions.
CONCLUSIONS: The utilization of psychotherapeutic interventions seems to be subject to a complex interaction between patient's need, 'objective' psychosocial distress and institutional conditions. The results highlight the importance of need for better identification of patients with psychosocial distress and better targeting of psychotherapeutic treatment. Copyright 2004 S. Karger GmbH, Freiburg.