Developing and Implementing E-psychotherapy Program for Mental Health Challenges in Oncology and Palliative Care

The demand for mental health problems, particularly depression and anxiety, is three times greater in Oncology and Palliative Care Centres than in the general population. There are unique factors in this population that make them more susceptible to mental health challenges. The disease itself, the adjustment to a chronic/fatal diagnosis, and the treatment options can all perpetuate the development of mental illness. Despite the well-established association, there have been barriers to access suitable treatment for these patients. Online Psychotherapy is an effective treatment option that may address many of these barriers. This modality has been proven effective in addressing depression and anxiety in other populations. To date, there has been no psychotherapy module developed specifically for oncology and palliative care patients to our knowledge. The aim is to establish the first academic e-psychotherapy treatment option to address mood and anxiety disorders in oncology and palliative care patients. The investigators will use the Online Psychotherapy Tool (OPTT), a secure cloud-based platform for online delivery of e-CBT, developed by the PI. The proposed study aims to establish the feasibility and effectiveness of delivering online psychotherapy to oncology and palliative care patients who have a comorbid depressive or anxiety disorder. The patients will be enrolled in an 8-week program with a combination of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and Mindfulness techniques delivered via a series of modules. They will receive individualized feedback from a trained therapist weekly. It is hypothesized that delivering this psychotherapeutic intervention in this manner will have great adherence. The aim is to prove that it will improve the quality of life and decrease symptoms of depression and anxiety in this underserved patient population.