PSYCHOSOCIAL ADAPTATION OF PATIENTS WITH OSTOMY: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Making an ostomy is a surgical option for many patients, usually with digestive cancer, giving them a chance to prolong their lives. They face  problems in their daily life after surgery which are not limited to physical ones, but usually extend to psychological and social problems. Purpose: The systematic review aimed to explore the psychosocial problems of patients with ostomy, their psychosocial adaptation to ostomy and its relationship with their quality of life. Methodology: A systematic review was performed of the Greek and international bibliography within the five years 2015-2020 in the international databases: Google Scholar, Pubmed and Scopus for related research. Criteria for inclusion and exclusion were set. Results: The review resulted in 9 articles that met the inclusion criteria. They were classified into three categories based on their subject matter. Our findings showed that patients with ostomy present in addition to physical and several psychological and social problems that complicate their daily lives and alienate them. Disorders in their psychosocial adjustment negatively affect their quality of life. Conclusions: Psychosocial problems and difficulties in psychosocial adjustment are a reality for ostomy patients and should not be underestimated if we aim to improve their quality of life.