CINCINNATI — When we hear about a friend or family member battling cancer, it’s often assumed we’re talking about their body — and not their mind.
The providers at TriHealth believe mental and physical health go hand in hand, especially when a patient is facing a devastating diagnosis.
"You immediately think about the chemo, the radiation, and it's easy to leave out the emotional impacts of it because patients and even physicians are so focused on that medical piece of it," said Stacy Reese, Clinical Manager of Psychosocial Oncology at Tri-Health Cancer Institute.
"If you're experiencing depression and anxiety, your body doesn't, it's not at full capacity to help itself heal. So it's an essential part of cancer care," she said.
Reese says at TriHealth, they’re integrating free mental health services and cancer care for better outcomes.
Watch more about the services below:
"What we know from research and patient anecdotes is that if you do address this, this other side of it, the emotional side, the social side, the familial side, not only are outcomes better, but once you're in survivorship, you're even more prepared to move forward," she said.
One such survivor is Paula Berryman.
"My story started a long time ago when I was 24 with my son. I was nursing him, and I found a spot in my breast and had it checked out, and it was dismissed as just a gland. It was not a problem. But that kind of started the whole process," she said.
For 20 years, Berryman got her screenings religiously — but COVID interrupted that — and she found herself with a cancer diagnosis in 2020.
"Breast cancer that was Invasive Ductal Carcinoma, stage two and two spots in my breast and also my lymph nodes," she said.
Berryman said she was trying to be positive and focus on the fight, but inside, she was spiraling. That’s when she says her nurse navigator stepped in and told her about Stacey Reese and the mental health team being available to talk and listen.
"You have all these emotions," she said.
Berryman said she had never been to therapy, but those sessions got her through treatment and changed her perspective.
"I wanted to handle it in a positive way and have faith, and I didn't want to deal with anxiety and depression in addition to cancer. Cancer was a big enough battle. So, it was a godsend to be able to get this therapy. I just feel super passionate that this is the element that we're not talking about with cancer," Berryman said.
TriHealth wants to keep that conversation going — and growing. Reese says they’ve added more social workers and behavioral health professionals to the team, helping support patients from the day they’re diagnosed.
"[Patients will] walk out of the session and say, 'Thank you.' And I'm like, no, no, thank you. You have no idea what you've given me," said Reese.
Learn more about TriHealth’s cancer support services.
