Key words: adolescence, psycho-oncology, trauma
Oncological diseases in adolescence test the psychological health in a critical period for the development and the structuring of identity, relationships and autonomy. In this paper are considered aspects of descriptive psychopathology and clinical problems most common in this area, as the concerns and anxiety symptoms, insomnia, sadness and depression, pain, nausea and anticipatory emesis, the somatoform disorders, disorders in eating behavior, agitation, aggression, problems of compliance. The etiological dimensions most discussed in the literature are then taken into consideration, with reference to those somatopsychic and related treatments, both to the psychic. In this regard, it is formulated a theoretical model of trauma and dissociation as risks of the experience of disease. This experience can be traumatic if the encounter between mental functioning and personality of the adolescent and the relational context (family and équipe) does not facilitate the search for a personal and subjective meaning making specific to the adolescent. With reference to this concept are considered to assess the prevailing psychopathologically dimensions for taking care of the specific patient, with particular attention to the levels of organization of his personality. It also points to some typical methodological and technical problems of taking care the clinical psychological work in this context.
