Inclusion of Social Work in Comprehensive Palliative Care to Address Psychosocial Needs of Advanced Cancer Patients in Vietnam

• Published in: Journal of social work in end-of-life & palliative care Vol. 20; no. 2; pp. 147 - 160
• Main Authors: Truong, Quynh Xuan Nguyen, Than, The Ngoc Ha, Le Dai, Duong, Duong, Khoa Duy, Krakauer, Eric L., Herman, Bumi, Taneepanichskul, Surasak
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Routledge 02-04-2024; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Anxiety; Cancer; Caregiver burden; Caregivers; Emotions; Low income groups; Mental depression; Palliative care; Patients; psychosocial; Psychosocial factors; Quality of life; Social support; Social work; spiritual; Support services; Vietnam; psychosocial; spiritual; palliative care; social work; Cancer
• ISSN: 1552-4256; 1552-4264
• DOI: 10.1080/15524256.2024.2310863

The need for psychosocial care among patients with serious illnesses and available social work services continues to be great, especially in low- and middle-income countries. To evaluate the specific needs of Vietnamese cancer patients' quality of life (QOL), prevalence and severity of symptoms including depression and anxiety, and caregiver burden were assessed. Data on QOL, mood, caregiver burden, and other parameters were collected through face-to-face and phone- interviews. The QOL assessed by European Quality of Life scale version 5D (EQ5D) was poor but consistent with other studies of cancer patients. Assessed by the Hospital Anxiety and depression Scale (HADS), borderline or severe anxiety and depression were prevalent. Caregiver burden was high for one third of study participants. These results confirm the need among cancer patients for psycho-social support services that currently are rarely available in Vietnam. In light of this need, a comprehensive palliative care (CPC) service, including social work, was created to improve the quality of life (QOL) of Vietnamese cancer patients.