Mental health

A blood cancer diagnosis can have a significant psychological impact on your health and quality of life. People may experience a range of emotions. These can vary and occur at any time from diagnosis, to during treatment, to survivorship, or towards the end of life.

Common psychological issues can vary from mild to severe:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Low motivation
• Feeling demoralised
• Uncertainty about the future
• Fear of blood cancer recurrence
• Loss of self-confidence

It can be difficult to talk about how you are feeling and hard to find the right support. It is important you talk about how you feel with someone you trust or feel comfortable with.

What can help

Talking with others:

• A family member or friend.
• Your General Practitioner (GP).
• Your treatment team, a doctor, nurse, or social worker. They are an important source of accurate information that can help with fear of the unknown.
• Other patients or their family members. They may be experiencing similar feelings and issues. It may help you find ways to gain a sense of control.
• Individual peer support and support groups.
• Leukaemia Foundation – Blood Cancer Support Coordinator.

Referral to a mental health professional:

• Counsellor
• Psychologist
• Social worker

Taking care of your whole self, including:

• Exercise
• Sleep
• Meditation, mindfulness, yoga
• Maintaining a routine.
• Setting realistic goals.

If you are often feeling anxious, down, or sad, it is important seek help.

Your GP can:

• Diagnose mental health conditions.
• Discuss treatment options including prescribing medication.
• Refer to counsellors, psychologists or another mental health professionals.
• Complete a mental health treatment plan.

If you are in a crisis situation

Here are some contact numbers:

• Call 000 – for a medical emergency
• Lifeline - 13 11 14
  A 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention service.
• Beyond Blue - 1300 22 46 36
  Talk or chat online to a counsellor 24/7 for brief counselling.
• Mensline - 1300 78 99 78
  A free telephone and online counselling service for Australian men anywhere, anytime.
• 13YARN - 13 92 76
  Talk with an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Crisis Supporter for free 24 hours/7 days.
• Qlife Get Help – 1800 184 527
  A free telephone and webchat 3pm to midnight every day for anonymous LGBTIQ+ peer support.

Find a mental health professional:

Resources

Download some resources we have prepared that may provide additional information for you and your loved ones.

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References

• Cancer and Mental Health I Anxiety, Depression, Distress | American Cancer Society
• Depression and anxiety among people living with and beyond cancer: a growing clinical and research priority | BMC Cancer | Full Text (biomedcentral.com)
• Early, medium and long-term mental health in cancer survivors compared with cancer-free comparators: matched cohort study using linked UK electronic health records – eClinicalMedicine (thelancet.com)
• Mental health care in oncology. Contemporary perspective on the psychosocial burden of cancer and evidence-based interventions – PMC (nih.gov)