Cancer-stricken children are not alone

On the occasion of the National Psychology Day we have had an interview with MAHAK’s  head of the psychology department.

Maryam Mohammad Ali, head of MAHAK’s department of psychology started the dialogue by introducing MAHAK’s psychological services and stated that each day 80 cancer-stricken children refer to MAHAK to receive treatment services. She added that: “parents are worried about the status of their children from the first moment that they come to MAHAK. The first stage which should be taken so that they accept the situation of their child is that they should be mentally and psychologically prepared by receiving relaxation, empathy, hope and motivation. This is done by social work experts who accompany the medical staff throughout the treatment process. Therefore, psychologists should stay with the family along with the patient to provide the required services such as counseling and they should comfort the families when they are confronted with difficulties such as grief crisis.”

She asserted that cancer-stricken children are not alone throughout the process of cancer treatment process and added that: “The presence of psychologists is very necessary for the children and their families thus in many advanced hospitals in the world the social workers and supporters accompany the doctors in the course of the treatment in order to diminish the psychological issues and continue the process with more hope and motivation. MAHAK is also one of the hospitals with this method and the support services’ team work effectively side by side with the medical staff.”

Maryam Mohammad Ali emphasized on the important role of the psychologists during a psychological crisis that the children and their families may experience and continued:” the psychologists comfort the treatment process which has lots of difficulties and concerns for the children and their families”. MAHAK psychologists provide services to the children even after they are discharged from the hospital. In addition, in case a family experiences their child’s decease, the psychology team provides the required counseling and psychotherapeutic services. ”