Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dlnhk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T09:42:36.029Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Psychologists involved in cancer palliative care in Japan: A nationwide survey

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 March 2014

Kasumi Nakajima ,
Yumi Iwamitsu ,
Mei Matsubara ,
Akira Oba ,
Kei Hirai ,
Tatsuya Morita  and
Yoshiyuki Kizawa
Kasumi Nakajima*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Tokyo Health Sciences, Tokyo, Japan
Yumi Iwamitsu
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Psychology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kitasato University, Kanagawa, Japan
Mei Matsubara
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Psychology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kitasato University, Kanagawa, Japan
Akira Oba
Affiliation:
Gunma Prefectural Cancer Center, Gunma, Japan
Kei Hirai
Affiliation:
Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
Tatsuya Morita
Affiliation:
Seirei Mikatahara General Hospital, Shizuoka, Japan
Yoshiyuki Kizawa
Affiliation:
Department of Palliative Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Hyogo, Japan
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Kasumi Nakajima, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Tokyo Health Sciences, 4-11 Ochiai, Tama, Tokyo 206-0033, Japan. E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objective:

The aim of this study was to clarify, using a nationwide survey, what is perceived as necessary knowledge and skills for psychologists involved in cancer palliative care in Japan, the expectations of medical staff members, and the degree to which these expectations are met.

Method:

We conducted a questionnaire survey of psychologists involved in cancer palliative care. A total of 419 psychologists from 403 facilities were asked to fill out the questionnaire and return it anonymously. Some 401 psychologists (89 males, 310 females, and 2 unspecified; mean age, 37.2  ±  9.5 years) responded about necessary knowledge and skills for psychologists working in cancer palliative care, the necessity for training, expectations at their current workplace, and the degree to which expectations are met.

Results:

More than 90% of participants responded that many kinds of knowledge and skills related to the field of cancer palliative care are necessary. Over 80% of participants indicated a necessity for training related to these knowledge and skills. Although more than 50% (range, 50.1–85.8%) of participants responded that such services as “cooperation with medical staff within a hospital,” “handling patients for whom psychological support would be beneficial,” and “assessment of patients' mental state” were expected at their workplace, fewer than 60% (31.4–56.9%) responded that they actually performed these roles.

Significance of Results:

Our results show that many psychologists in cancer palliative care feel unable to respond to the expectations at their current workplace and that they require more adequate knowledge and skills related to cancer palliative care to work effectively. No other nationwide surveys have generated this type of information in Japan, so we believe that the results of our study are uniquely important.

Keywords

PsychologistCancer palliative careNationwide surveyKnowledge and skillsExpectations at the workplace
Type
Original Articles
Information
Palliative & Supportive Care , Volume 13 , Issue 2 , April 2015 , pp. 327 - 334
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Belar, C.D. & Deardorff, W. (1995). Clinical health psychology in medical settings: A practitioner's guidebook. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ebana, S. (2005). What do physicians demand of clinical psychologists working in the medical setting?: From the perspective of an interdisciplinary medical team. Japanese Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine, 45, 655–661.Google Scholar
Higginson, I.J. & Evans, C.J. (2010). What is the evidence that palliative care teams improve outcomes for cancer patients and their families? Cancer Journal, 16, 423–435.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Iwamitsu, Y., Hirai, K., Oba, A., et al. (2009). Roles of clinical psychologists desired by palliative care team members: Focus group interviews. Palliative Care Research, 4, 228–234.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Iwamitsu, Y., Oba, A., Hirai, K., et al. (2013). Troubles and hardships faced by psychologists in cancer care. Japanese Journal of Clinical Oncology. 43(3), 286–293. Epub ahead of print January 7.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kodama, K., Shinagawa, Y. & Uchino, T. (2007). A survey on services and training of clinical psychologists in palliative care. Bulletin of Training and Research Center for Clinical Psychology, 6, 129–137.Google Scholar
Kurihara, Y. (2010). Listening to the voice of patients and families: How it is like to go through the cancer journey and what helps for them to go through. Japanese Journal of Clinical Radiology, 55, 1100–1106.Google Scholar
Marks, D.F., Brücher-Albers, C., Donker, F.J.S., et al. (1998). Health psychology 2000: The development of professional health psychology. European Federation of Professional Psychologists' Associations (EFPPA) Task Force on Health Psychology final report. Journal of Health Psychology, 3, 149–160.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Marzillier, J. & Hall, J. (1999). What is clinical psychology? 3rd ed.Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Miyaoka, H. (2005). What role does a medical doctor envision for clinical psychologists? Japanese Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine, 45, 675–678.Google Scholar
Murayama, H, Ashihara, M. & Sata, A. (2005). My situation as a clinical psychologist. Japanese Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine, 45, 679–683.Google Scholar
Ono, K., Oba, A. & Hasegawa, M. (2011). The role of clinical psychologists in care for family members of cancer patients. Clinical Oncology, 8, 88–92.Google Scholar
Sakano, Y. (2004). Toward the establishment of the national licensure system for clinical psychologist. Clinical Psychiatry, 46, 25–28.Google Scholar
Sepúlveda, C., Marlin, A., Yoshida, T., et al. (2002). Palliative care: The World Health Organization's global perspective. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 24, 91–96.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shibusawa, T. (2002). Collaboration and social work practice. Japanese Journal of Psychotherapy, 28, 270–277.Google Scholar