Post-traumatic stress disorder in cancer survivors: a review of psychological treatments available

Abstract

Objective: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) appears frequently in cancer survivors, but not all survivors meet the criteria propo­sed by the DSM-V to be diagnosed with PTSD. This situation may lead an underestimation of the problem and furthermore, in this patient group, PTSD is related with different aspects of psychological well-being, such as depres­sion, anxiety or quality of life, However, the­re are only a few psychological interventions designed to reduce these symptoms in cancer survivors.

Method: A review of the psychological treatments available for PTSD in cancer sur­vivors in the last 10 years was performed. The data bases used were PubMed, Web of Science (WOS) and PsycInfo with the following des­criptors: PTSD (posttraumatic stress disorder) treatment cancer survivors y PTSS (posttrau­matic stress symptoms) treatment cancer sur­vivors.

Results: The psychological interventions with more evidence are: cognitive-behavioral therapy and mindfulness, ahead other strate­gies such as stress management training, neu­ro-emotional therapy, coping skills training and counseling.

Conclusions: Despite the relevance of PTSD in this patients group, psychological interventions needs more evidence to establish their efficacy to reduce these symptoms in survivors.