A Study of a One-Time Counseling Session to Help Reduce Depression, Anxiety, and Distress in People With Breast Cancer

Piloting Single Session Consultation for Cancer (SSC-C) to Alleviate Distress Among Breast Cancer Patients

The purpose of this study is to see if a Single Counseling Session for Cancer can help reduce psychosocial distress and improve quality of life in people with breast cancer who are waiting to receive ongoing counseling services (outpatient psychotherapy services). The Single Counseling Session for Cancer-which I will refer to as the "study counseling" during this call-is a one-session, 60-minute counseling program designed to reduce anxiety and depression symptoms in people with cancer who are waiting to receive outpatient psychotherapy services. The researchers will look at whether the study counseling is effective in participants and practical (feasible) for them to complete.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patient must have pathologically confirmed breast cancer (per EMR).
• Patient with localized or advanced cancer (per EMR).
• Patient is on a waitlist of at least 2 weeks or more for MSK Counseling Center intake and will not complete a New Visit with a clinical psychologist prior to intervention (these patients will be replaced) (per EMR, patient's care team, or self-report)
• Has not had and is not scheduled to have an appointment with an MSK psychiatrist or MSK Counseling Center advanced practice provider (per EMR, patient's care team, or self-report)
• Female (per EMR)
• Age ≥ 18 (per EMR)
• English fluency - Per self-report: How well do you speak English?
• Agrees to be audio-recorded (per self-report) NOTE: Participants who report Very well are considered fluent.
• Lives in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, or Florida (per self-report).
• Has no significant psychiatric disturbance sufficient to preclude completion of the assessment measures, interview, or informed consent (i.e., acute psychiatric symptoms which require urgent or extended individual treatment) (per EMR, patient's care team, or study team).
• Has no presence of cognitive impairment disorder (i.e., delirium, dementia, or traumatic brain injury) sufficient to preclude meaningful informed consent and/or data collection (per EMR, patient's care team, study team, or per self-report of BOMC cognitive test).
• Has no current active or passive suicidal ideation ((per EMR, patient's care team, study team, per item 9 of the PHQ-9, or the CSSRS).