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Description
The project aims at empowering adolescent and young adult patients and survivors of cancer as well as health professionals. Also, it aims at improving the interconnection of the involved institutions and stakeholders (CSOs and Hospitals).
Oncological disease in adolescence and the onset of adulthood meets the intensity and complexity of psychosocial changes, unprecedented for the adolescents/young adults themselves and their family. This induces extraordinary therapeutic and psychosocial difficulties for all the involved people and its impact is also serious on those who have survived. The psychosocial support of this vulnerable group in Greek hospitals is fragmented, in the absence of specific services and interconnection difficulties. Under the project the patients and survivors of cancer will be empowered through a holistic approach.
The main project activities for adolescent and young adult patients and survivors are individual and group psychotherapy, art workshops and counseling support, Also, the project addresses to family members of adolescent and young adult patients and survivors through psychological and counseling support and last but not least to health professionals through clinical supervision of medical and nursing staff, training programs for medical and nursing staff in the psychosocial oncology of adolescents / young people and educational programs for mental health professionals.
By the end of the project 125 adolescents/young patients and survivors of cancer and also 75 health professionals who take care young people with oncological disease are expected to be supported.
Summary of project results
The “Psychosocial Support Unit for adolescents and young adults with cancer” provided support services to 130 adolescents and young patients and survivors as well as education and support services to 79 health professionals working with oncology patients. The activities took place within the region of Attica.
More specifically, the results are summarized as follows: Psychological support for adolescent-young patients and survivors (aged 12-24 years), Psychological support for adolescents-young people experiencing the oncological disease of a family member, Counseling support for parents of adolescent or young patients, Workshop of musical expression and creation for adolescent patients (DO-RE-LA), Photography workshop for young cancer survivors (18-32), Clinical supervision in psychosocial oncology for mental health professionals working with adolescents/young oncology patients, Ιnformative meetings with medical and nursing staff of the hospitals in order to achieve the appropriate interface, Systematic use of the Facebook page, Training and professional empowerment seminar for nurses and doctors in their work with adolescent oncology patients, Participation in scientific conferences for the presentation of the Unit’s work, Translation of six scientific articles in the field of psychosocial oncology and psychosomatics, aimed at the education of the staff and the promotion of the work of the Centre, Photography exhibition of the Photography Workshop of young cancer survivors (the exhibition was titled "One Click, and Then?", it was held in the exhibition hall of the Booze Cooperativa from 15 to 17 October 2021 and the participation and response of the public was particularly warm with hundreds of visitors to the exhibition), Organization of the Psychosocial Oncology Symposium on "Tell me, how long is tomorrow?", Issues of Psychosocial Oncology in Cancer Survival. The Workshop was held on 30 October 2021 at the War Museum and in a hybrid format. Despite the difficulties arising from the restrictive measures due to Covid-19, the public response to the Symposium was very warm. 52 people attended the Workshop in person and 73 people attended online.