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Treatment of a Depressed Breast Cancer Patient With Problem-Solving Therapy

University of Tennessee-Knoxville

Derek R. Hopko

University of Tennessee-Knoxville

Problem-solving therapy (PST) has emerged as a promising treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD). The treatment, which is brief and easily accessible to a variety of health practitioners, has often been implemented within primary care settings. Building on this research, this case study highlights utilization of problem-solving therapy with a breast cancer patient diagnosed with recurrent major depression, applied within the context of a medical center oncology clinic. Following an 8-session PST protocol, the patient demonstrated notable decreases in self-reported depression and anxiety symptoms and an overall increase in quality of life and medical functioning. Consistent with an accumulating literature, these data support PST as an effective and parsimonious intervention for individuals with depression and concurrent medical problems such as breast cancer.

Key Words: cancer • breast cancer • problem-solving therapy • depression

Clinical Case Studies, Vol. 8, No. 4, 263-276 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/1534650109337732


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