Wandke Svenja, Brandes Lisa, Rutenkröger Mareike, Führes Hannah, Lang Klaus, Härter Martin, Oechsle Karin, Bokemeyer Carsten, Scholl Isabelle
Department of Medical Psychology, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
II. Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
Sci Rep. 2025 Jul 1;15(1):22328. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-06991-x.
Despite regular exposure to patient deaths, little research has explored how psycho-oncologists experience and cope with these events. This study examined the unique challenges faced by psycho-oncologists in Germany, aiming to contribute to the broader understanding of professional grief and its impact on healthcare professionals' mental health and well-being. We conducted 25 semi-structured interviews with psycho-oncologists. The interviews were audiorecorded, transcribed, and analyzed using content analysis. Participants experienced an average of two patient deaths per month. The findings revealed both positive and negative effects of patient deaths on their personal and professional lives. While many participants managed professional grief successfully, most expressed unmet needs for education and information on coping strategies. Peer support was identified as particularly valuable for managing the emotional toll. Overall, patient deaths had significant, varying impacts on psycho-oncologists, highlighting the need for healthcare institutions to implement targeted support and educational interventions to address professional grief and enhance their well-being.
尽管经常接触患者死亡事件，但很少有研究探讨心理肿瘤学家如何体验和应对这些事件。本研究调查了德国心理肿瘤学家面临的独特挑战，旨在促进对职业悲痛及其对医疗保健专业人员心理健康和幸福感的影响的更广泛理解。我们对心理肿瘤学家进行了25次半结构化访谈。访谈进行了录音、转录，并使用内容分析法进行了分析。参与者平均每月经历两例患者死亡。研究结果揭示了患者死亡对他们个人生活和职业生活的积极和消极影响。虽然许多参与者成功地应对了职业悲痛，但大多数人表示在应对策略的教育和信息方面存在未满足的需求。同伴支持被认为对减轻情感负担特别有价值。总体而言，患者死亡对心理肿瘤学家有重大且各异的影响，凸显了医疗机构需要实施有针对性的支持和教育干预措施，以应对职业悲痛并提升他们的幸福感。
