Prostaatkanker: een literatuuroverzicht van psychosociale problemen en psychosociale interventies.

Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer in men. The number of studies on the impact of this disease on psychosocial well-being and functioning in daily life is increasing. This paper provides a review of the literature on psychosocial problems and studies on educational and supportive interventions for men with prostate cancer. Papers on psychosocial problems indicate the existence of anxiety, loss of manliness, shame and limitations in daily life. However, the validity of the results is questionable. Depression is only a problem in selected patients. Many patients experience problems related to erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence. A few studies indicate that psychosocial interventions are beneficial for patients with respect to different areas such as participating more actively in treatment decisions and reduction of anxiety. Future studies should be aiming at specific psychosocial problems in different stages of prostate cancer. This knowledge can be used to develop appropriate psychosocial interventions for this patient group. (aut.ref.