Launched in June 2020 as a joint initiative between the Naef K. Basile Cancer Institute and the Department of Psychiatry at AUBMC, the Psycho- Oncology Program was established as the first integrative collaborative care psycho-oncology program in Lebanon and the region.
With about 20 - 25% of patients with cancer face significant emotional distress that affects their functioning, psychosocial issues in the oncology setting have a deep impact on patients with cancer’s physical and mental wellbeing. Psycho-oncology has risen as a relatively new interdisciplinary field that addresses these issues and provide support for patients confronting numerous challenges throughout the different stages of the disease.
Among the symptoms and behaviors displayed by patients with cancer and cancer survivors are:
- Experiencing low mood and/or depression with loss of interest, pleasure, meaning, and hope
- Experiencing worries, fears, and other forms of psychological stress that cause distress
- Experiencing guilt, feelings of loss of control, anger, sadness, confusion, and fear
- Feelings of anxiety, mood disturbance, fear of recurrence, concerns about body image, and communication and other problems with family members
- Feelings of fear for the future; inability to make plans; uncertainty and a heightened sense of vulnerability; and other worries, such as about the possible development of a second cancer, changes in sexual function and reproductive ability, and changes in one’s role within the family and other relationships
- Facing spiritual and existential issues involving faith, perceived relationship with God, and the possibility and meaning of death
The Psycho-Oncology Program provides services which span across clinical, educational, research, and social/advocacy avenues. The clinical services offered include the following:
- Assessment and intake
- Individual interventions for patients with cancer (Psychiatric and Psychologic)
- Medication management for psychiatric symptoms including mood symptoms, anxiety, cancer-related fatigue, sleep and appetite changes that may be due to the cancer itself or its treatment
- Individual interventions for family members
- Group psycho-education and psychotherapy for patients with cancer / Support Groups
- Family therapy, support, and psycho-education
- Expressive Therapies
- Survivorship Support
- Grief and Bereavement Services
| Are you a patient with cancer who has been experiencing despair and loss of hope, depression or anxiety, poor quality of life, or loss of meaning and purpose?
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Meet the Team
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Rita Khoury, MD
Interim Program Director
| Anie Behlejian, RN, MSN Psychiatric Mental Health
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Location and Appointment Scheduling
The Psycho-Oncology Program is located on the 4th floor at the Department of Psychiatry in the Aida and Halim Daniel Academic Center (Daniel ACC). To contact us, please call +961-1-759 620