HCPs reports of their lack of training and awareness on identifying suicide risk is alarming given the higher risk of suicide among cancer patients. Training programs should incorporate the successful strategies used by HCPs and overcome barriers to identifying suicide risk.

Patient deaths result in behavioral, cognitive, physical, and emotional symptoms of grief in oncologists. These symptoms become particularly intense in the context of patient, family, and disease-related factors. Educational and supportive interventions for managing grief related to patient death are needed in order to support oncologists in their emotionally and mentally taxing work. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The purpose of this research was to examine oncologists' perspectives on indicators of mental health distress in patients: what strategies they use to identify these indicators, and what barriers they face in this task. Twenty-three oncologists were interviewed, and the grounded theory method of data collection and analysis was used. Oncologists perceived distress to be a normative part of having cancer and looked for affective, physical, verbal and behavioural indicators using a number of strategies. Barriers to identification of mental health distress included difficulty in differentiating between mental health distress and symptoms of the disease, and lack of training. A systematic, time-efficient assessment of symptoms of emotional distress is critical for identification of psychiatric disorders among patients and differentiating normative emotional responses from psychopathology. Clinical bias and misdiagnosis can be a consequence of an ad hoc, intuitive approach to assessment, which can have consequences for patients and their families. Once elevated risk is identified for mental health distress, the patient can be referred to specialised care that can offer evidence-based treatments.

Suicidality in cancer patients exists on a continuum. Cancer patients fluctuate on this spectrum depending on circumstances such as degree of suffering, their personalities and life circumstances, and whether they are nearing the end of life. Results of the study emphasize the need to collect more context specific data on suicidality among cancer patients and the importance of early integration of psychosocial and palliative care in the cancer treatment trajectory.

Expressions of anger within the healthcare context are a common occurrence, particularly in clinical situations where patients can experience emotional distress in the face of illness. The purpose of this study was to examine one aspect of this phenomenon by looking at expressions and causes of anger among Israeli cancer patients and their families from the perspective of oncologists who treat them. Twenty-two Israeli oncologists were interviewed from three oncology centers between March 2013 and June 2014. The grounded theory method was used to collect and analyze the data. Our study revealed that oncologists are exposed to and cope with expressions and acts of anger, aggression, and violence from some of their cancer patients and their families. The causes of this anger include physician blame, unrealistic treatment expectations, perceived errors in communication, and lack of follow up with bereaved families. Our study also revealed that the cultural context affected patient-physician interactions, including anger. This context included a culture that has open interpersonal boundaries and is family-oriented; a multicultural society that includes citizens with different cultural norms and expectations around cancer care; and a strained healthcare system that leaves oncologists limited in time and resources, including limited access to palliative care. Policy implications include reducing oncologist workload by hiring more mental health professionals, having translators available on site to help with language barriers, reducing administrative burdens, and incorporating palliative care widely to help with the psychosocial and physical care of patients and families.