[ Music ]
>> Hello, I'm Dr. Lynne Padgett,
and I'm a clinical health psychologist.
I'm here with Brock Lamont,
who's a multiple myeloma cancer survivor.
Cancer survivors are often affected
by mental health problems.
But for some patients, talking
about these challenges is more difficult than talking
about physical health concerns.
These are not always easy conversations
for providers to start either.
Cultural beliefs and worries about stigma, negative attitudes
about mental health, these can all play a role in how difficult
for these discussions can be.
Brock is going to tell us about his experience talking
about his experience talking about mental health issues
with his health care providers during,
and after his cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Thanks Brock for sharing your story with us.
>> Thank you Dr. Padget, it's great to be here.
>> Great. So, tell me, what was the experience
of sharing your concerns about mental health
with your providers, and how did those conversations go?
>> It was a difficult experience,
I have to be honest with you.
I mean, cancer alone is hard to deal with, but also thinking
about the mental health aspects of having this diagnosis
and trying to deal with it, I think is very difficult
and challenging as well.
For me, my journey started when I was having some back pains,
and problems sleeping, and I was going --
undergoing physical therapy.
And the physical therapy just wasn't you know,
taking care of the problem.
So, we decided to do an MRI, we did the MRI,
I normally would then go in and see a physician assistant
and my physical therapist.
It was a little bit different this time,
I actually saw a physician, the lead of the practice,
and he actually told me the radiologist
when they read the MRI results thought that it looked
like I had advanced prostate cancer.
>> [inaudible]
>> Which that was a very scary thing to hear,
and it came like a thunderbolt, you know, out of the sky,
you know, of the -- out of a clear, blue sky,
and it was very challenging.
And he actually reached out to an oncologist friend of his
who was an excellent physician, someone I went to.
We did some -- a further battery of testing,
and that's when they determined I had multiple myeloma.
I really appreciate the relationship I have
with my primary oncologist,
this is the individual I was referred to.
And he made it really easy for me to be able to talk
with him not just about my cancer diagnosis and the options
that we had in dealing with this medically.
But also, the other things I need
to be really thinking about, and that includes mental health.
That includes, you know, the importance
of maintaining a really positive attitude.
I'm a firm believer in that, I think that's part
of the whole aspect, the strategies that you have to use
when you're facing a cancer diagnosis.
And my oncologist was really good about speaking with me
about that and giving me time to answer -- to ask questions,
and he'd answer those questions, we had such a great rapport.
And that was -- that made it easier
to talk about these things.
My wife also is -- she's a teacher now,
but in a prior life she was a social worker.
>> Oh.
>> And so, I spent a lot of time talking with her also
about how we're going to fight this.
And that includes, you know,
some of the things that I'd be feeling.
The anxiety, the depression, other things like that,
and recognizing that and realizing
that that's a normal thing.
And that there's approaches, there's strategies
that we could use to address that.
And she really helped, you know, me prepare myself
for these meetings, she was always
in these meetings with me.
And at always I think just about every meeting.
We had a component of our conversation talking
about just my general mental health,
and what I was thinking about.
And the natural things that you could be, you know,
experiencing, and how to address those things.
And I felt that was just so very important,
and so very helpful for me.
>> Wow, that is a very compelling story.
>> Thank you.
So, Dr. Padget, I have a question for you.
What would you say to patients who are unsure about speaking
about mental health issues with their providers?
And what would you say to providers about how
to get those conversations started?
>> Great. Thanks for asking.
I tell patients that it's really important
to realize their care is not just about their tumor
or their cancer, but that it's whole person care.
And whole person care is comprised of physical
and mental health symptoms.
It's important for them to report both of those symptoms,
including mental health to their providers.
So, I would encourage them
to tell their providers what they're experiencing.
One way they can do that is
through a process we call Distress Screening.
Where they may be in electronic form, perhaps on a piece
of paper, they're invited to check a checklist of symptoms
that include physical, social, and psychological needs.
So, that's another way to report their symptoms
to their provider.
One thing that's really important for patients
to know also is that this information,
this mental health information they discuss
with their provider is confidential.
For providers, I would really encourage them to inquire
about a patient's mental health, but also to recognize
that cultural, religious,
our personal beliefs may impact the patient's willingness
to share.
And that it may take multiple questions and some encouragement
to really get a response from them.
So, those are kind of the general recommendations
for both patients and providers to initiate
and have these conversations.
>> Doctors and nurses have a real opportunity
to reduce the impact of problems like these,
and help cancer survivors like me live happy, healthier lives.
>> Open communication between healthcare providers
and patients regarding cancer related mental health concerns
is an important part of high quality care.
Healthcare providers can make communication easier
by assessing patents' cultural, social,
or stigma related beliefs about mental healthcare first.
For access to healthcare provider training resources
and information about the topics discussed,
please visit cdc.gov/cancer and chronicdisease.org.