The National Conference on Psycho-Oncology (NCPO-2025), organized by the Department of Psychiatry, AIIMS, New Delhi, marks a pivotal step in addressing the often-overlooked psychological and emotional dimensions of cancer care.
This event provides a platform for recognizing and amplifying the voices of People with Lived Experience (PWLE)—patients, survivors, and caregivers. By emphasizing the integration of psychological support and services into all aspects of cancer care, engaging PWLE and patient advocacy organizations, facilitating dialogues with civil society, and fostering multi-stakeholder engagement, the conference sets a progressive benchmark.
Aligned with the WHO framework for meaningful engagement of PWLE, this approach creates an enabling environment where their voices can drive impactful change. It underscores the importance of inclusive, patient-centered care, ensuring that India’s cancer care and healthcare systems prioritize compassion and holistic support.
For individuals living with Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and other complex conditions, these efforts represent a transformative shift toward comprehensive and compassionate care. For PWLE, this integration enhances quality of life, builds resilience, and fosters dignity throughout their health journey.
Together, let us reaffirm our commitment to a future where every patient’s mental, emotional, social, and physical needs are addressed with care and compassion.
This event provides a platform for recognizing and amplifying the voices of People with Lived Experience (PWLE)—patients, survivors, and caregivers. By emphasizing the integration of psychological support and services into all aspects of cancer care, engaging PWLE and patient advocacy organizations, facilitating dialogues with civil society, and fostering multi-stakeholder engagement, the conference sets a progressive benchmark.
Aligned with the WHO framework for meaningful engagement of PWLE, this approach creates an enabling environment where their voices can drive impactful change. It underscores the importance of inclusive, patient-centered care, ensuring that India’s cancer care and healthcare systems prioritize compassion and holistic support.
For individuals living with Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and other complex conditions, these efforts represent a transformative shift toward comprehensive and compassionate care. For PWLE, this integration enhances quality of life, builds resilience, and fosters dignity throughout their health journey.
Together, let us reaffirm our commitment to a future where every patient’s mental, emotional, social, and physical needs are addressed with care and compassion.
What we observe:
As individuals with lived experiences of cancer—patients, survivors, and caregivers—we observe a significant gap in addressing the emotional and psychological toll of cancer. Mental health services remain inaccessible or overlooked in many healthcare systems, with limited integration into cancer care pathways. This leaves patients and caregivers feeling isolated and unsupported in their journey, particularly in managing the trauma and resilience needed to navigate their diagnosis and treatment.
How it makes us feel:
This lack of attention to mental well-being leaves us feeling unheard and dehumanized, as though the focus is only on treating the disease, not the person. It amplifies our feelings of fear, anxiety, and helplessness. Caregivers often feel overwhelmed, with their emotional burden unacknowledged. We believe that cancer care must address not only survival but also the quality of life, encompassing the mind, body, and spirit.
What we want to do about it:
We want to prioritize mental health as an essential component of cancer care by integrating psychological support into all stages of treatment and survivorship. We aim to foster patient-centered care that treats the person, not just the disease, while creating an enabling environment for patients and caregivers to voice their concerns and experiences meaningfully. This involves engaging patient advocacy organizations, civil society groups, and professionals in a collaborative effort.
Who we are asking to act:
We are calling on:
As individuals with lived experiences of cancer—patients, survivors, and caregivers—we observe a significant gap in addressing the emotional and psychological toll of cancer. Mental health services remain inaccessible or overlooked in many healthcare systems, with limited integration into cancer care pathways. This leaves patients and caregivers feeling isolated and unsupported in their journey, particularly in managing the trauma and resilience needed to navigate their diagnosis and treatment.
How it makes us feel:
This lack of attention to mental well-being leaves us feeling unheard and dehumanized, as though the focus is only on treating the disease, not the person. It amplifies our feelings of fear, anxiety, and helplessness. Caregivers often feel overwhelmed, with their emotional burden unacknowledged. We believe that cancer care must address not only survival but also the quality of life, encompassing the mind, body, and spirit.
What we want to do about it:
We want to prioritize mental health as an essential component of cancer care by integrating psychological support into all stages of treatment and survivorship. We aim to foster patient-centered care that treats the person, not just the disease, while creating an enabling environment for patients and caregivers to voice their concerns and experiences meaningfully. This involves engaging patient advocacy organizations, civil society groups, and professionals in a collaborative effort.
Who we are asking to act:
We are calling on:
- Healthcare professionals to recognize and address the mental health needs of their patients and caregivers as part of comprehensive care.
- Healthcare institutions to allocate resources and create programs that embed psychological support into cancer treatment pathways.
- Policy makers to prioritize mental health in national cancer care policies, ensuring access to psychological services for all.
- Civil society and patient advocacy organizations to amplify patient voices, foster dialogue, and drive multi-stakeholder engagement for holistic care solutions.
VOICE FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL SUPPORT AND MENTAL WELL-BEING
ADVOCACY FOR PATIENT-CENTERED CARE IN PSYCHOLOGICAL SUPPORT AND MENTAL
WELL-BEING
We, the patients, caregivers, and advocates, call on healthcare professionals, institutions, and policymakers to adopt a patient-centered approach to cancer care that prioritizes psychological support and mental well-being as essential pillars of treatment and recovery.
Patient-Centered Impact:
By placing patients and caregivers at the center of care, we aim to foster a healthcare system that respects individual voices, ensures emotional well-being, and provides holistic support through every stage of the cancer journey.
Call to Action:
We urge institutions, professionals, and policymakers to:
- Integrate Mental Health into Patient-Centered Care: Embed trained mental health professionals (e.g., psychologists, counsellors) within oncology teams to create personalized care plans.
- Listen to Patient and Caregiver Voices: Establish formal channels for patients and caregivers to actively participate in care decisions, ensuring that their unique needs and preferences shape the services provided.
- Develop Peer-Led Support Systems: Promote patient- and caregiver-driven support groups to foster shared experiences and emotional healing.
- Strengthen Training for Healthcare Teams: Equip oncology professionals with tools to adopt a patient-centered approach that addresses emotional, psychological, and cultural needs.
- Policy Implementation and Accountability: Include mental health care as a mandated service in healthcare policies and insurance coverage, ensuring accessibility for all.
- Promote Public Awareness and De-Stigmatization: Launch campaigns to raise awareness about mental health challenges in cancer care and the importance of seeking support.
Patient-Centered Impact:
By placing patients and caregivers at the center of care, we aim to foster a healthcare system that respects individual voices, ensures emotional well-being, and provides holistic support through every stage of the cancer journey.
Call to Action:
We urge institutions, professionals, and policymakers to:
- Recognize psychological well-being as integral to patient-centered cancer care.
- Partner with patient advocates to create supportive, inclusive care frameworks.
- Commit resources to build a compassionate healthcare system that meets the unique needs of every patient and caregiver.
