Unit for Psychosociological support for adoloescents and young adults with oncological disease
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.
The aim of the program is to organize and systemize psychosocial support and empowerment of adolescent/young adult patients and young adult survivors of cancer as well as to improve the interconnection of the involved institutions (hospitals, NGOs).
The implementation actions are: (a) individual / group psychotherapy for adolescent / young adult patients and survivors; (b) individualized / group counseling of their family members; (c) art workshops for adolescent/young patients and survivors; (d)
counseling support of adolescent / young people experiencing oncological disease of a family member
(e) clinical supervision of medical and nursing staff; (f) training programs for medical and nursing staff in the psychosocial oncology of adolescents / young people; (h) educational programs for mental health professionals.
Beneficiaries of the actions are: a) adolescents and young adults (aged between12-24) suffering from oncological disease; (b) young adults (aged between18-32 years) who have survived from cancer they experienced during adolescence (c) parents and siblings of adolescent/young patients; (d) adolescents and young adults experiencing cancer of a family member; (e) medical and nursing staff of oncology clinics; (f) mental health professionals.
The Hellenic Cancer Society will be the only coordinating and implementing agency of the program.
