People who are lonely or feel misunderstood more often have complaints such as feelings of depression, anxiety, stress and difficulty accepting the disease. They also need practical tips and emotional support from fellow sufferers more than patients who do not feel lonely. All people who have had tips and support from fellow sufferers find this helpful. In addition to contact with fellow sufferers, there is also the immediate environment.
In the initial phase, patients experience a lot of emotional support from their environment: after diagnosis and during treatment, more than 80 percent of cancer patients feel supported by their loved ones. After treatment, this decreases to 62 percent. The support for the long-term consequences is less: half of the patients indicate that they feel supported in this.
Gender and age play a role in complaints
The poll shows a clear difference between men and women. For example, it appears that 30 percent of women do not feel understood, compared to 15 percent of men. In addition, 4 in 10 women indicate that they feel lonely, this is almost a quarter for men. Moreover, women more often experience complaints such as fatigue, concentration and memory problems and anxiety. Age also plays an important role; people aged 60 or younger more often feel lonely and misunderstood and experience more complaints than people aged 61 or older.
Be alert to loneliness
The most common complaints that patients experience are fatigue, decreased physical condition, neuropathy (nerve pain), concentration problems and memory problems. About half of people who suffer from concentration and memory problems indicate that they need professional help. Yet it appears that only a third of them have actually received help for it, while getting help often pays off; more than half say it has helped. NFK asks care providers in the hospital and general practitioners to be alert to loneliness in addition to paying attention to the complaints. ‘Healthcare providers must also realize that women and people of a younger age experience many of the complaints more often,’ says Arja Broenland, director of NFK. She calls on the patient to discuss his or her complaints.
By: National Care Guide
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