Oncology Leaders Issue Urgent Call for Mental Health Support Improvements

Rockville, MD – The Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) — with its partners, the Association of Oncology Social Work (AOSW) and the American Psychosocial Oncology Society (APOS) — is calling for sweeping improvements to mental health care services and support for patients, caregivers, and mental health care professionals experiencing psychological distress.

ACCC, AOSW, APOS joined together with BeiGene USA, Inc. and other supportive care leaders to promote an effective collaborative care model and standards for a culture of care. The group plans to release additional resources to the industry for psychosocial support in oncology care.

This effort comes as the psychiatrist workforce is expected to see a shortage of up to 31,000 psychiatrists in 2024, making it difficult for patients, caregivers, and cancer care teams to get access to the mental health care they need. Burnout, a driver of poor mental health among care teams, is expected to worsen as the workforce becomes overburdened. Over 610,000 nurses will exit the workforce by 2027, and by 2034, doctor shortages will rise to 124,000.

Supportive care leaders, representing advocacy organizations, academic medical centers, and community cancer programs, convened in Washington, D.C. in March 2023 for “A Call to Action: Delivery of Psychosocial Care in Oncology Summit,” with support from BeiGene USA, to identify key priorities and develop action plans to mitigate barriers to providing and accessing timely and appropriate psychosocial care in oncology. This includes the identification of effective screening tools, training, resources, and policies to support psychosocial care, as well as the urgency of promoting strategies to foster a resilient mental health care culture and workforce.

“The key to a stronger cancer care workforce and better patient outcomes depends on access to mental healthcare services. Without it, patients are left to deal with anxiety, fear, and depression on their own, and their care providers shoulder their stress until they burn out completely,” said Krista Nelson, LCSW, OSW-C, FAOSW, former ACCC President and facilitator of the psychosocial summit. “Our workforce could be at a breaking point if this issue goes unresolved, so I urge cancer program leadership to invest in the mental healthcare of their cancer care teams and patients.”

Oncology leaders are taking action to get the message out. In the Vol. 38, No. 4 Oncology Issues, leaders from ACCC, AOSW, and APOS make the case for implementation of the Collaborative Care Model in the article, “Collaborative Care: A Solution for Increasing Access to Psychosocial Care in Cancer Programs and Practices.” An earlier issue (Vol. 38, No. 3) featured the full executive summary of the summit, which highlights the plan for the important work ahead.

Leaders have also taken this issue to the airwaves with two new, powerful podcasts with experts who discuss normalizing the stigma associated with cancer care professionals seeking mental health care (CANCER BUZZ EP 114), as well as psychosocial care for caregivers (CANCER BUZZ EP 121). Additional efforts have focused on advocacy for broader policy changes, including an ACCCBuzz blog on changes that could improve the culture of care, as well as a blog on the impact of social determinants of health on psychosocial care.

For more information on Psychosocial Care in Oncology, visit the ACCC website.

The Psychosocial Care in Oncology program is supported by BeiGene, USA Inc.

ABOUT ACCC
The Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) is the leading education and advocacy organization for the cancer care community. Founded in 1974, ACCC is a powerful network of 32,000 multidisciplinary practitioners from 1,700 hospitals and practices nationwide. As advances in cancer screening and diagnosis, treatment options, and care delivery models continue to evolve - so has ACCC - adapting its resources to meet the changing needs of the entire oncology care team. For more information, visit accc-cancer.org. Follow us on social media; read our blog, ACCCBuzz; tune in to our CANCER BUZZ podcast; and view our CANCER BUZZ TV channel.

ABOUT AOSW
The Association of Oncology Social Work (AOSW) is an international nonprofit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to the enhancement of psychosocial services to people with cancer, their families, and caregivers. Created in 1984 by social workers interested in oncology and by existing national cancer organizations, AOSW has more than 1,200 current members who embrace the AOSW Mission and Vision Statements. AOSW’s members practice in hospitals, outpatient clinics, home care and hospice agencies, community wellness programs, patient advocacy organizations and other settings. AOSW connects persons diagnosed with cancer, and their families, with essential community, state, national, and international resources as part of the oncology team. To learn more about AOSW, please visit https://aosw.org/. 

ABOUT APOS  
The American Psychosocial Oncology Society (APOS) was formed in 1986 to bring together professionals working in the psychological, behavioral, and social aspects of cancer. Its mission broadened in the early 2000s to network professionals from all disciplines working in psychosocial oncology. Over five hundred psychosocial oncology professionals gather at APOS' annual conference to share new research and clinical innovations. The Psycho-Oncology journal was begun in 1992 to publish research specific to psychosocial oncology in one journal. The mission of the American Psychosocial Oncology Society is to advance the development and delivery of equitable and evidence-based psychosocial oncology care through research, practice, education, and advocacy. The vision of the American Psychosocial Oncology Society is a nation in which all people affected by cancer have access to quality psychosocial care to optimize wellbeing and biopsychosocial-spiritual outcomes. To learn more about APOS, please visit https://apos-society.org/.  

ABOUT BeiGene
BeiGene is a global biotechnology company that is discovering and developing innovative oncology treatments that are more affordable and accessible to cancer patients worldwide. With a broad portfolio, they are expediting development of their diverse pipeline of novel therapeutics through their internal capabilities and collaborations. BeiGene is committed to radically improving access to medicines for far more patients who need them. Their growing global team of more than 10,000 colleagues spans five continents, with administrative offices in Basel; Beijing; and Cambridge, U.S. To learn more about BeiGene, please visit www.beigene.com and follow them on LinkedIn and X (formerly known as Twitter).