For the first time, a specialized academic society has compiled guidelines on medical treatment methods to support bereaved families who have died of cancer and are deeply saddened, and says, "I want to broaden my understanding of bereaved family care."
The guidelines were prepared by the Japanese Society of Psycho-Oncology and the Japanese Society of Cancer Supportive Care and announced at a press conference on the 14th.
One in three Japanese will die of cancer, but according to the guidelines, about 85% of bereaved families who have died of family cancer will naturally have a sorrowful reaction in a few months, while some will. In addition to depression and PTSD = post-traumatic stress disorder, the reaction and symptoms called "complex grief" that come from grief may continue for a long time and require medical treatment.
And for those who have "complicated grief" that is characteristic of the bereaved family, if they are not depressed because they may feel "want to die" from the desire to reunite with the deceased. Instead of treatment with drugs, cognitive-behavioral therapy to face the reality is given.
There are only less than 50 medical institutions nationwide that provide outpatient care for cancer bereaved families, so Hiromichi Matsuoka, chief of the Department of Psychiatry and Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, who compiled the guidelines, said. "Some bereaved families do not know that they need care. There are few doctors who specialize in medical care, so I would like to broaden my understanding of care through guidelines."