A diagnosis of a serious physical illness, particularly cancer, can be an overwhelming experience for many people. Emotions of fear, anxiety, anger, uncertainty and sadness can be commonly felt at any stage-during assessment, at diagnosis, during treatment and follow up times- by patients and family members alike. Psychological support is found to be of benefit during this time.
We, at the Psycho-oncology and Psychiatry Unit at Tata Memorial Hospital, provide psychological support services for patients and their family members. This service is for both admitted patients as well as those attending outpatient clinics. We work in a team of Psychiatrist and Clinical Psychologists, on a consultation-liaison model of service.
Referrals for psychiatric and psychological assessments can be arranged by staff working with the patients. Self-referrals (patients and/or family members) are also accepted. We comprehensively evaluate the patients with a bio-psycho-socio-environmental model and use evidence based approaches in the clinical care of the patients. We believe that the caregivers are an integral part of the patient-family unit and consider their emotional and other concerns during the patient evaluation.
Psychological support services are also available for staff working in the hospital, keeping in mind that working in specialized area of oncology and can be overwhelming at times, leading to stress.
We are involved too in education and training pertaining to topics related to psycho-oncology, communication skills, stress management and palliative care psychiatry. We have Observership placements in the department for students of Psychology and Counselling and Psychiatry.
Our clinical and research interests are spirituality, paediatric and geriatric psycho-oncology, survivorship programmes and support groups.
We conducted the first ever Psychosocial Academy of the International Psycho-oncology Society to be held in India in TMH in 2013. We are involved in the Psycho-oncology programme and workshop in the Indian Cancer Congress to be held in Bengaluru in November 2017.
Clinical:
Outpatient clinic
Consultation – liaison inpatient rounds
Liaison clinics – Survivorship programme for childhood cancer survivors and palliative care
Caregiver emotional support
Neurocognitive assessment
Training and placement of students of Psychology
Observership training and placement
Participation in Oncology Nursing, Palliative Medicine, Summer School in Oncology
Patient and caregiver education groups
Areas of ongoing research – Neurocognitive assessment in cancer patients, spirituality, paediatric psycho-oncology, psychiatric disorders in cancer, validation of different tools for depression and anxiety.
Departmental Office: Room 20, Golden Jubilee Building Basement, Tata Memorial Hospital, Dr. E. Borges Road, Parel, Mumbai 400012
Referrals:
TATA MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
Dr. E Borges Road, Parel, Mumbai - 400 012 India
Phone: +91-22- 24177000, 24177300, 69537300
Fax: +91-22-24146937
E-mail : msoffice@tmc.gov.in(for patient care and queries)/cash@tmc.gov.in(for accounts related)/fundraising@tmc.gov.in (for donors and donation related)/registrar@tmc.gov.in(for education and training)/hrd@tmc.gov.in(for administrative - HRD matters)
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