Kitija Janele, Board Member and Head of the Psychosocial Rehabilitation Program of the NGO “Tree of Life” (Latvia) Alise Musijenko, manager of Psychosocial Rehabilitation Program of the NGO “Tree of Life” (Latvia), presentation at the Second International Scientific and Practical Conference «Improving the quality of life of cancer patients through the development of cooperation between state, commercial and non-profit organizations». 2018-01-24, Minsk. Belarus.

1. Psychosocial rehabilitation for
cancer patients and their
relatives:
Implementation of program,
Life quality after the active treatment
Challenges and Lessons Learned
Author: Kitija Janele, Alise Musijenko Latvian
Cancer Patient Society «Dzīvības koks»,
Minsk, 24.01.2018.

2. Latvian Cancer Patient Society «Dzīvības
koks» – WHO ARE WE?
•
The leading cancer patient society in Latvia
•
Founded in 2004
•
Public benefit organization status since 2005
•
Our central office in Riga, 3 regional offices
•
Our priority – cancer patient life quality

3. Basics of the program implementation:
International collaboration
● European Cancer Patient Coalition- ECPC member
organization
● The European Breast Cancer Coalition - EUROPA DONNA
patient advocacy member
● European Network of Gynaecological Cancer Advocacy
Groups - ESGO ENGAGE member organization
● Central European Lung Cancer Patient Network patient
advocacy member
● International Kidney Cancer Coalition – planning to become
a member organization

4. Responsiveness on cooperation offers
↓
«Montebello» rehabilitation centre invitation to
their psychosocial rehabilitation program in Norway
↓
In cooperation with the Montebello center
introducing to the program goals and learning of the
methods
Basics of the program implementation:
International collaboration

5. ● 2009, psychosocial rehabilitation program «Spēka
Avots» (The Source of Strength) has been
developed for cancer patients, based on the
concept of Montebello Centre Norway.
● 15 camps were carried out 2009 – 2013, 2016
based only on donation
● 6 camps from 2014-2015 were organised based on
project activities (EEA/Norway Grants)
● 21 camp were organised based on a huge annual
charity marathon in Latvia called “Dod Pieci”
Basics of the program implementation:

6. Basics of the program implementation:
National collaboration
● Strengthened cooperation with decision makers at
both local and national level by organizing cross-
industry health conference
● Cabinet of Ministers and the NGO Co-operation
Memorandum
● Strengthened cooperation with specialists and experts
of the field, including GPs, social workers, NGOs etc.
● Strengthened cooperation with local governments
● EU Foundation Supervisory Board

7. First achievements
Thanks to ongoing lobbying activities since 2018
psychosocial rehabilitation for oncology patients
and their relatives has become a government
paid service in Latvia. It is defined by
amendments in the law about «Social services
and law of the social help».
Any person who has been diagnosed with cancer
has a right to recieve this service once after the
active treatment.

8. What means psychosocial support
and rehabilitation?
•
Psychosocial support, an ambitious package of
measures that focuses on emotional health and
social integration
•
Psychosocial support should introduced when the
patient learns of the diagnosis (patients and
relatives)
•

9. What means psychosocial support
and rehabilitation?
● Psychosocial rehabilitation is particularly significant
at the end of the active treatment when the
individual remains alone - how to live further?
● Research shows that 40% of cancer patients (of the
population) are unable to cope with the psycho-
emotional consequences caused by the disease

10. The goal of the psychosocial
rehabilitation program
● To give professional and proof information about the
oncology
● To help getting through the emotional experience, which
was caused by the disease
● To approve that it is possible to learn to live with yourself
and the diagnosis
● To strengthen social bonds
● To inspire to help yourself and other people with similar
experience

11. What builds the program
«Spēka Avots»?

12. Rehabilitation Program
«Spēka Avots»
●
Program: 6 days (intensive work lasts 4 days)
●
Group Therapy (not more than 12 individuals per
group - psychotherapist, psychologist, art therapist)
●
Information - how to live further (doctors from
various fields: oncologist, immunologist etc.)
●
Healthy lifestyle foundations (nutrition specialist,
phytotherapist)
●
Physical activities (physiotherapy, Nordic Walking,
physiologist of physical activities)

13. Statistics in Latvia
●
Registered cancer patients – 73983 (2016); 49272 (2000)
●
First-time diagnosis per year – 11118 (2016); 8833 (2000)
●
From 2009 – organized cancer screening programs (breast
cancer; cervical cancer; colorectal cancer)
●
Organized HPV vaccination for young girls (12 years old),
started sept. 2010)
●
Oncology - health care priority

14. Specifics of cancer
•
Fear
•
Stereotypes
•
Stigma
•
Cancer = death
•
Cancer = pain
•
Cancer = loneliness

15. Psychosocial support and
rehabilitation
•
A survey was carried out during the period
June-August 2014 and August-September
2015 on how the person feels about the
diagnosis and what are the main needs
•
Received 350 responses to conform to
recognized 298

16. When the patients revealed their
diagnosis
To their family:
-
Immediately – 76% after some time - 23 %
To their friends:
-
Immediately – 36% after some time - 57% didn’t tell anybody - 7%
To their work colleagues:
-
immediately - 39% after some time – 43% didn’t tell anybody -
18%

17. Physical difficulties
During the treatment
•
Difficulties with physical
labor - 86%
•
Treatment’s side effects -
84%
•
Lowered ability to
concentrate - 78%
•
Hair loss - 73%
•
Lowered sensitivity (smell,
taste, touch) - 50%
•
Lowered professional
abilities - 41%
After the treatment
•
Difficulties with physical
labor - 74%
•
Treatment’s side effects
-57%
•
Lowered ability to
concentrate - 57%
•
Difficult to stay in one pose
for a longer time - 51%
•
Lowered or lost
professional abilities - 32%

18. Psychological difficulties
During the treatment
•
Stress - 79%
•
Fear - 73%
•
Anxiety - 72%
•
Difficulties with sleep - 67%
•
Depression - 59%
•
Lack of psychological
support - 55%
•
Difficulties with accepting
body - 54%
•
Suicidal thoughts - 15,6%
After the treatment
•
Stress - 62%
•
Fear - 61%
•
Anxiety - 59%
•
Difficulties with sleep - 55%
•
Depression - 49%
•
Lack of psychological
support - 50%
•
Difficulties with accepting
body - 43%
•
Suicidal thoughts - 15%

19. Social problems
During the treatment
•
Lack of information - 58%
•
Difficulties in intimate
relationships (with a partner) -
48%
•
Self-isolation - 45%
•
Communication difficulties - 40%
•
Avoids going into public because
everybody can see the
consequences of cancer - 40%
•
Difficulties with communicating
with friends - 34%
After the treatment
•
Lack of information - 50%
•
Difficulties in intimate
relationships (with a partner) -
45%
•
Self-isolation - 32%
•
Communication difficulties - 36%
•
Avoids going into public because
everybody can see the
consequences of cancer -26 %
•
Difficulties with communicating
with friends - 27%

20. Psychosocial rehabilitation =
quality of life

21. How can we share?
Latvian Cancer Patients Society «Dzīvības koks»
E-mail: dzivibaskoks@dzivibaskoks.lv
Tel: +371 67625339
Official website: www.dzivibaskoks.lv
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