Introduction to Health Psychology In Australia

Assignment Task

Case Study

Sally is a fifty-year-old female who is raising her daughter, Amber (aged 12), together with her husband, John. She has recently been diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer. She is told that the illness is treatable but that she must undergo major breast surgery (i.e., a mastectomy) and chemotherapy, which involves four cycles of weekly treatments followed by fortnightly recovery periods. Sally has taken extended leave from her job as she cannot work for the duration of her treatment period. John has recently been made redundant from his job due to the pandemic and is looking for a new job.

The family has now had to use some of their savings to pay for treatments. Sally feels overwhelmed by the diagnosis and the uncertainty but has tried to remain strong for her daughter and husband. After recent treatments, Sally has lost her hair and is also experiencing heavy fatigue in conjunction with severe nausea during recovery periods. Sally finds it hard to accept help because she considers herself the person the family usually depends on. She avoids talking to Amber and John about her cancer as she does not want to burden them with her feelings. John tries to support Sally by driving her to appointments and helping her with household and family responsibilities.

However, he finds it increasingly hard to connect with Sally emotionally and physically as she avoids conversation and often refuses his help. Sally plays down difficulties to help maintain normality but appears weak and withdrawn. John is not sure how to provide Sally with the best emotional support. The family is finding it hard to cope with the situation. John tries to apply for jobs in the evenings but is finding it hard to concentrate, as he often feels tired, overwhelmed, stressed, and worrying about how to be there for Sally and Amber. Sally feels guilty about letting her family down because she sleeps a lot and relies on John’s support. Sally also worries about how illness and change in her appearance may affect her marriage. Sally and John are also worried about Amber, who appears withdrawn and sometimes cries in her room. The family seeks advice from a health psychologist to help them all better cope with the illness. 

1. Discuss the impact that the illness may have on Sally’s life? (i.e., focus on providing at least one behavioural, one psychological, and one social factor). Support your answer with peer-reviewed journal articles. 

2. Discuss how the illness may affect Sally’s family? (i.e., focus on providing at least one behavioural, one psychological, and one social factor). Support your answer with peer-reviewed journal articles. 

3. Explain what is meant by health- related quality of life? Use the literature to identify and discuss describe three factors that may determine the extent to which the breast cancer diagnosis may affect Sally’s quality of life. Support your answer with peer-reviewed journal articles and link it to the case. 

4. Sally seeks your help as a psychologist to help herself and her family cope better with the impact of the illness. Describe three distinct theory-informed/evidencebased recommendations of what Sally and her family can do to better cope with the illness and increase her quality of life. Support your answer with peer-reviewed research articles. Ensure that you link your recommendations are linked to the case.

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