Men?s Health Foundation Ghana, the biggest men?s charity has partnered Akona School of
Counseling Ghana to train psychosocial counselors in the management of men diagnosed with
prostate cancer.
counseling students Akona School of Counseling, Mampong
Nyarkotey Obu, a registered Naturopathic doctor who specialized in prostate cancer and a PhD
candidate.
According to Dr. Nyarkotey, Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer in men. It is
fraught with both physical and psychological symptomatology. Depression, anxiety, stress,
fatigue, pain and psychosocial factors all affect the patient with prostate cancer. Impotence,
erectile dysfunction, sexual issues and incontinence in these patients complicate matters further.
Anxiety may exist both before testing and while awaiting test results. Confusion over choosing
from various interventions often adds to anxiety and depression in these patients. Various
demographic factors and the developmental stage of the couple affect these psychological
symptoms. The caregiver may undergo significant psychological turmoil while caring for a
patient diagnosed with prostate cancer, which is addressed.
The role of trained psychosocial counselors is important in the country to help men deal with the
side effect of the treatment
The course in psychosocial oncology for the first time looks at psychological issues in patients
with prostate cancer from a clinical perspective, with the aim of highlighting these issues for the
counselor in dealing with these patients. It also explores the consultation?liaison relationship
between psychiatrists, psychologists and urologists as a team for the multimodal management of
prostate cancer.
The charity has started this program as part of its projects to reduce the high mortality rates in the
country. The men?s charity believes that Ghanaian men deserve better treatment for prostate
cancer.
Source: Men?s Health Foundation Ghana
