BACKGROUND: Mental health needs of patients with HCV are increasingly being addressed in medical contexts. OBJECTIVE: The authors review the psychosocial issues relevant to patients with hepatitis C and provide mental health treatment recommendations. FINDINGS: Patients with HCV are faced with a number of challenges, including adjustment to a chronic medical illness, management of symptoms and treatment side effects, and making and maintaining lifestyle changes. Given these issues, mental health clinicians have the opportunity to make a significant contribution to patient care. CONCLUSION: After reviewing the relevant research on these psychosocial issues, the authors have identified areas in which clinicians can intervene; these include adjustment to having a chronic medical illness, coping with stigma and relationship changes, management of side effects, and implementing healthy lifestyle changes.
BACKGROUND: Mental health needs of patients with HCV are increasingly being addressed in medical contexts. OBJECTIVE: The authors review the psychosocial issues relevant to patients with hepatitis C and provide mental health treatment recommendations. FINDINGS:Patients with HCV are faced with a number of challenges, including adjustment to a chronic medical illness, management of symptoms and treatment side effects, and making and maintaining lifestyle changes. Given these issues, mental health clinicians have the opportunity to make a significant contribution to patient care. CONCLUSION: After reviewing the relevant research on these psychosocial issues, the authors have identified areas in which clinicians can intervene; these include adjustment to having a chronic medical illness, coping with stigma and relationship changes, management of side effects, and implementing healthy lifestyle changes.
Authors: Donna M Evon; Paul W Stewart; Jipcy Amador; Marina Serper; Anna S Lok; Richard K Sterling; Souvik Sarkar; Carol E Golin; Bryce B Reeve; David R Nelson; Nancy Reau; Joseph K Lim; K Rajender Reddy; Adrian M Di Bisceglie; Michael W Fried Journal: PLoS One Date: 2018-08-01 Impact factor: 3.240