Estimating the access to psychotherapy and psychological support for cancer patients in Nigeria: A national study.

Abstract

e24068 Background: Cancer is a leading cause of psychiatric disorders, including depression, anxiety, delirium, distress, sexual dysfunction, and sleep disorder. Previous literature has shown that the provision of psychological support and psychotherapy to cancer patients improves their quality of life, better treatment outcomes, and increases adherence to cancer treatment. Yet, access to this essential care is unknown and largely understudied. This study estimates access to psychotherapy and psychological support among cancer patients receiving treatment (i.e., chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy) across cancer hospitals in Nigeria. Methods: This national cross-sectional study recruited ( N = 1,389 ) cancer patients from 14 hospitals across the country. Participants completed a questionnaire assessing their access to psychotherapy and psychological support. The data were analyzed using multiple linear regression in SPSS. Results: Findings showed that participants were mostly female (70.6%) and married persons (68.3%). The majority of their diagnosis was breast cancer (47.1%), followed by prostate cancer (11.1%) and cervical cancer (6.5%). Their cancer stages were: 0 (16.1%), I (15.6%), II (28.2%), III (23.3%) and IV (10.7%). The majority (83.8%) were given the news of their diagnosis in a comforting and humane manner, and more than half (57.7%) were offered psychological counseling right after diagnosis; only a few (17.2%) received psychotherapy and psychological counseling from a clinical psychologist on the day they were diagnosed of cancer. Although cancer diagnosis affected 81.3% of the patients psychologically, and 64.8% felt that they needed psychological support during their cancer treatment, only 44.6% received any form of psychotherapy and psychological support during treatment. Most of the patients (78.3%) would utilize psychotherapy and psychological services if they had access to them, but 80.9% of them were not aware of where they could receive these services. Only 24.8% are willing to pay out of pocket for the services. Conclusions: This study shows that access to psychotherapy after diagnosis of cancer is limited in Nigeria. There is no dedicated psychotherapy, clinical psychological care, or mental health support for cancer patients in most cancer hospitals in Nigeria, which places cancer patients at risk of mental health disorders. Hence, establishing psycho-oncology clinics and recruiting clinical psychologists across cancer hospitals will improve accessibility and availability while improving the mental well-being of cancer patients. These findings underscore the need to integrate mental health into cancer care, ensuring equitable access to psycho-oncology services across Nigeria.