How is mental illness treated in people with cancer?

Treatment options for psychiatric problems in people with cancer may include:

• Psychotherapy (supportive; cognitive behavioral; psychodynamic; interpersonal; dialectic behavioral; etc), including couples and family therapy.
• Antidepressant medications and anxiolytic agents that can help with mood and sleep problems.
• Group therapy can be quite helpful, either supportive or supportive/expressive types of group therapy.

It is critically important to consider the emotional aspects of cancer care. Screening and detection are the first steps. Patients and families should make a point of talking to their doctors about their emotional feelings. It is important not to assume that it is normal to feel anxious, depressed, overwhelmed, etc. If you do feel depressed, anxious, or confused and generally not like yourself, you or your family should ask about the cause and treatment of these symptoms.