Cognitive behavioural therapy in palliative care: evaluation of staff following a foundation level course

摘要

Over the last 40 years, the understanding of the prevalence of emotional distress and psychological morbidity in both long-term conditions and at the end of life has advanced considerably (Moorey, 2013). At the same time, clinical trials have consistently demonstrated that psychological treatments such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) are effective (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), 2004). This paper describes how CBT tools can be taught to staff working in palliative care settings and how the training impacts on their knowledge and confidence of working with psychological distress, depression and anxiety.