Career Counselling for Cancer Survivors Returning to Work
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53379/cjcd.2023.348Keywords:
career development, cancer patients, cancer survivors, career theories, counselling interventionsAbstract
Cancer impacts workability significantly more than other physical and psychiatric disorders. Accommodations are often required upon returning to work after treatment, and cancer survivors may experience discrimination during this process. This article discusses key career challenges cancer survivors face and presents relevant career counselling theories to assist clients in navigating them. Constructivist career counselling models and happenstance theory offer strategies to help survivors make meaning out of unexpected events, explore new possibilities for returning to work, and gain skills for coping with future challenges in the workforce.
References
Amir, Z. & Brocky, J. (2009). Cancer survivorship and employment: Epidemiology. Occupational Medicine, 59, p. 373. https://doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqp086
Bains, M., Yarker, J., Amir, Z., Wynn, P., Munir, F. (2012). Helping cancer survivors return to work: What providers tell us about the challenges in assisting cancer patients with work questions. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, 22, p. 71. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10926-011-9330-4
Bright, J. E. H., Pryor, R. G. L., Chan, E. W. M., Rijanto, J. (2009). Chance events in career development: Influence, control and multiplicity. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 75, p. 14. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2009.02.007
Brott, P. E. (2001). The storied approach: A postmodern perspective for career counselling. The Career Development Quarterly, 49 (4) p. 304. https://doi.org /10.1002/j.2161-0045.2001.tb00958.x
Brott, P. E. (2004). Constructivist assessment in career counselling. Journal of Career Development, 30(3), p. 189. https://doi.org/10.1177/ 08948453040300 0302
Carlsen, K., Dalton, S. O., Diderichsen, F., Johansen, C. (2008). Risk for unemployment of cancer survivors: A Danish cohort study. European Journal of Cancer, 44, p. 1866. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejca.2008.05.020
Fong, C.J., Murphy, K.M., Westbrook, J.D., Markle, M.M. (2018) Psychological Interventions to Facilitate Employment Outcomes for Cancer Survivors: A Systematic Review and Meta Analysis. Research on Social Work Practice, 28 (1). https://doi.org/10.1177/10497315156 04741
Chan, F., Strauser, D., da Silva Cardoso, E., Zheng, L. X., Chan, J. Y. C., Feuerstein, M. (2008). Vocational services associated with competitive employment in 18-25 year old cancer survivors. Journal of Cancer Survivorship, 2, p. 169. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11764-010-0119-9
Clarke, T. C., Soler-Vila, H., Lee, D. J., Arheart, K. L., Ocasio, M. A., LeBlanc, W. G., Fleming, L. E. (2011). Working with cancer: Health and disability and disparities among employed cancer survivors in the U.S. Preventative Medicine, 53, p. 331. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2011.07.022
de Boer, A. G. E. M. & Frings-Dressen, M. H. W. (2009). Employment and the common cancers: Return to work of cancer survivors. Occupational Health, 59, p. 378. https://doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqp087
de Boer, A. G. E. M., Taskila, T., Ojajarvi, A., van Dijk, F. J. H., Veerbeek, J. H. A. M. (2009). Cancer survivors and unemployment: A meta-analysis and meta-regression. Clincal Review, 301 (7), p.753. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2009.187
Earle, G. C., Chretien Y., Morris, C. … Weeks, J. C. (2010). Employment Among Survivors of Lung Cancer and Colorectal Cancer. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 28 (10), p. 1700. https://doi.org/10.1200/jco.2009.24.7411
Feuerstein, M., Hanseen, J. A., Calvio, L. C., Johnson, L., Ronquillo, J. G. (2007). Work productivity in brain tumor survivors. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 49 (7), p. 803. https://doi.org/10.1097/jom.0b013e318095a458
Feuerstein, M., Todd, B. L., Moskowitz, M. C., Bruns G. L., Stoler, M. R., Nassif, T., Yu, X. (2010). Work in cancer survivors: A model for practice and research. Journal of Cancer Survivorship, 4, p. 415. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11764-010-0154-6
Grunfeld, E. A., Low, E., Cooper, A. F. (2010). Cancer survivors’ and employers’ perceptions of working following cancer treatment. Occupational Medicine, 60, p. 611. https://doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqq143
Hakamen, J. J., Lindbohm, M-L. (2008). Work engagement among breast cancer survivors and the referents: The importance of optimism and social resources at work. Journal of Cancer Survivorship, 2, p. 283. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11764-008-0071-0
Holland, J.L. (1997). Making Vocational Choices: A Theory of Vocational Personalities and Work Environments. (3rd ed.). Psychological Assessment Resources.
Lindbohm, M-L. & Viikari-Juntura, E. (2010). Cancer survivors’ return to work: Importance of work accommodations and collaborations between stakeholders. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 67, p. 578. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/oem.2009.051847
Krumboltz, J. D. (2009). The happenstance learning theory. Journal of Career Assessment, 17 (2), p. 135. https://doi.org/10.1177/1069072708328861
Main, D. S., Nowels, C. T., Cavender, T. A., Etschmaier, M., Steiner, J. F. (2005). A qualitative study of work and work return in cancer survivors. Psycho-Oncology, 14, p. 992. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.913
Mehnert, A. (2011). Employment and work-related issues in cancer survivors. Clinical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology, 77, p. 109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.critrevonc.2010.01.004
Moran, J. R., Short, P. F., Hollenbeak, C. S. (2011). Long-term employment effects of surviving cancer. Journal of Health Economics, 30, p. 505. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhealeco.2011.02.001
Nieuwenhuijsen, K., Bos-Ransdorp, B., Uitterhoeve, L. L. J., Sprangers, M. A. G., Verbeek, J. H. A. M. (2006). Enhanced provider communiation and patient education regarding return to work in cancer survivors following curative treatment: A pilot study. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, 16, p. 647. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10926-006-9057-9
Nieruwenhuijsen, K., de Boer, A., Spelten, E., Sprangers, M. A. G., Verbeek, J. H. A. M. (2009). The role of neuropsychological functioning in cancer survivors’ return to work one year after diagnosis. Psycho-Oncology, 18, p. 589. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.1439
Paraponaris, A., Teyssier L. S., Ventelou, B. (2010). Job tenure and self-reported workplace discrimination for cancer survivors 2 years after diagnosis: Does employment legislation matter? Health Policy, 98, p. 144. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthpol.2010.06.013
Pryce, J., Munir, F., Haslam, C. (2007). Cancer survivorship and work: Symptoms, supervisor response, co-worker disclosure and work adjustment. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, 17, p. 83. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10926-006-9040-5
Savickas, M. L. (2008). Career construction theory. Encyclopedia of Counselling, Ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publishing.
Savickas, M. L. (2012). Life design: A paradigm for career intervention in the 21st century. Journal of Counseling Development, 90 (1), p. 13. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1111/j.1556-6676.2012.00002.x
Schlich-Bakker, K., Warlam-Rodenhuis, C. C., van Echtelt J., van den Bout, J., Ausems, M. G. E. M., ten Kroode, H. F. J. (2006). Short term psychological distress in patients actively approached for genetic counselling after diagnosis of breast cancer. European Journal of Cancer, 42, p. 2722. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejca.2006.05.032
Schultheiss, D. E. P. (2005). Qualitative relational career assessment: A constructive paradigm. Journal of Career Assessment, 13(4), p. 381. https://doi.org/10.1177/1069072705277912
Sharf, R. S. (2010). Applying career development theory to counselling (5th ed.). Belmont, C.A.: Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning.
Short, P. F., Vasey, J. J., Tuncell, K. (2005). Employment pathways in a large cohort of adult cancer survivors. Cancer, 103 (6), p. 1292. https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.20912
Short, P. F. & Vargo, M. M. (2006). Responding to employment concerns of cancer survivors. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 24 (32), p. 5138. https://ascopubs.org/doi/abs/10.1200/jco.2006.06.6316
Spelten, E. R., Sprangers, M. A. G., Verbeek, J. H. A. M. (2002). Factors reported to influence the return to work of cancer survivors: A literature review. Psycho-Oncology, 11, p. 124. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.585
Strauser, D., Feuerstein, M., Chan, F., Arango, J., da Silva Cardoso, E., Chiu, C. (2010). Vocational services associated with competitive employment in 18-25 year old cancer survivors. Journal of Cancer Survivorship, 4 . https://doi.org/10.1007/s11764-010-0119-9
Taskila, T. & Lindbohm, M. L. (2007). Factors affecting cancer survivors’ employment and work ability. Acta Oncoologica, 46, p. 446. https://doi.org/10.1080/02841860701355048
Thijs, K. M., de Boer, A. G. E. M., Vreugdenhil, G., van de Wouw, A. J., Houterman, S., Schep, G. (2012). Rehabilitation using high-intensity physical training and long-term return-to-work in cancer survivors. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, 22, p. 220. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10926-011-9341-1
Valach, L. & Young, R. A. (2004). Some cornerstone development of a contextual action theory of career counselling. International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance, 4, p. 61. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/B:IJVO.0000021138.12299.cf
Valach, L. & Young, R. A. (2009). Interdisciplinarity in vocational guidance: An action theory perspective. International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance, 9, p. 85. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1007/s10775-009-9156-1
Verdonck-de Leeuw, I. M., van Bleek, W-J, Leemans, C. R., de Bree, R. (2010). Employment and return to work in head and neck cancer survivors. Oral Oncology, 46, p. 56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oraloncology.2009.11.001
Wynn, P. (2009). Employment and the common cancers: Overview. Occupational Medicine, 59, p. 369. https://doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqp085
Yu, M., Ferrucci, L. M., McCorkle, R., Ercolano, E., Smith, T., Stien, K. D., Cartmel, B. (2012). Employment experience of cancer survivors 2 years post-diagnosis in the study of cancer survivors-I. Journal of Cancer Survivorship, 6, p. 210. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11764-011-0212-8
Zebrack, B. J. (2011). Psychological, social, and behavioural issues for young adults with cancer. Cancer, p. 2289. https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.26056
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2023 Canadian Journal of Career Development
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.