Background/Objectives: Insomnia is a frequent and distressing symptom with limited treatment in patients with cancer. Among the available treatments for insomnia, psychological interventions are some of the most assessed. While studies and reviews show promise of interventions improving insomnia in patients with cancer, inconsistent approaches to operationalizing and measuring insomnia combined with the heterogeneity of available treatments render comparisons and synthetization difficult. This review sought to rigorously synthesize psychological interventions for patients with cancer and insomnia by describing current therapies, identifying gaps in the literature, and offering supportive interventions. Methods: A comprehensive search of five databases—Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, Ovid PsycInfo, EBSCO CINAHL Plus with Full Text, and Cochrane Library—was conducted through 1 August 2024. The review included randomized trials and non-inferiority trials evaluating psychological interventions for patients with various types of cancers. Twenty-one studies were included, and study quality ranged from good to excellent, according to the PEDro scale. Results: The current evidence supports the use of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to treat insomnia over and above psychoeducation alone, mindfulness-based stress reduction, Brief Behavioral Therapy, the Benson Relaxation Technique, progressive muscle relaxation, mindfulness meditation, mind-body bridging, and home-based psychological nursing. Digital, minimal, and internet-based intervention modalities are effective, though professional-delivered CBT proved most effective. Conclusions: CBT remains the most effective psychological intervention for insomnia in this population. Challenges exist regarding the implementation of CBT, so further research is warranted to identify the best psychological interventions for specific settings and subsets of patients with cancer.

Introduction: Palliative care professionals experience high levels stress and burnout. Meditation improves stress and well-being, with group interventions more promising than individual-level efforts. This study assessed participation, satisfaction, helpfulness, and integration of a five-minute group meditation during weekly educational rounds. Methods: Seventy clinicians were invited to complete an anonymous Qualtrics survey assessing study variables. Responses were analyzed using variations of t-tests, ANOVAs, chi-squared tests, and regression analyses in IBM SPSS (Version 23). Results: Twenty-three clinicians (59%) reported participation in meditation during rounds, with no significant differences by gender or years worked. Twenty-one respondents also engaged in meditation at least weekly outside of rounds (54%), averaging 53 minutes ( n = 21) a week, and doing so mostly after work hours ( n = 18, 72%). Participation was associated with perceived stress reduction and control, and satisfaction with meditation (odds ratio: 1.46 [95% confidence interval: 1.01–2.13], p = 0.05). Clinicians in psychosocial roles showed no different engagement outside of rounds, and those less engaged did not report greater time-related barriers. Discussion: Most round attendants participated in the five-minute meditation, perceived it as useful, and reported use after rounds. Findings justify further research to better characterize its potential in enhancing well-being.

OBJECTIVE : This wellness program sought to identify the prevalence of burnout in a pediatric hematology/oncology/blood and marrow transplantation (BMT) center and to tailor workplace wellness initiatives to support staff. METHODS : Providers and staff from a pediatric hematology/oncology/BMT center were invited to complete an anonymous survey that included items from the Maslach Burnout Inventory for Medical Personnel (MBI-MP) and author-developed questions to assess burnout and helpfulness of program initiatives. Analyses included descriptive and inferential statistics. RESULTS : Just over half of respondents endorsed high risk of burnout. Advanced Practice Providers (APPs), Registered Nurses (RN)/Care Partners (CP), and the Oncology and Multiple specialties (individuals serving multiple specialties [i.e., oncology and BMT]) had the largest proportions of individuals at high risk of burnout. Inpatient nurses and those who have worked in the division for 1-5 years endorsed greater risk of burnout compared to their counterparts. Most respondents reported all initiatives were somewhat to very helpful, with initiatives aimed at bereavement support rated as most helpful. CONCLUSIONS : Our wellness program continues to refine the initiatives offered to align with our purpose of increasing engagement, reducing burnout, and improving staff retention. While the benefits of programming targeting individual level drivers of burnout should be highlighted, the critical state of burnout requires leadership support and engagement in wellness efforts to advance wellness culture in the medical field beyond the limits of individual level interventions alone.

Background: Advanced cancer severely impacts the lives of patients as well as their caregivers and loved ones. The burden of the caregiver role often results in significant distress, especially near the end of life. Identifying ways to support patients and caregivers is an important focus of palliative care. Objectives: To report two cases depicting the negative impact of caregiver distress on patient care and end-of-life decision-making, requiring the collaboration of an interdisciplinary team. The cases outline interdisciplinary approaches to patient and caregiver support during this transition. Conclusions: Medical facilities providing cancer care should have structures and processes capable of assessing and managing caregiver distress. Interdisciplinary teams are needed to identify a process of supporting caregivers to minimize negative impacts of emotional dysregulation on patients, their caregivers, and staff.