A Systematic Review of Interventions for Demoralization in Patients with Chronic Diseases
International Journal of Behavioral Medicine – February 05, 2024
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
Demoralization profoundly impacts quality of life for patients with chronic diseases, a critical mental health concern in medicine. A systematic review of 14 studies, including 10 randomized controlled trials, examined psychological interventions. Meaning-centered therapy (6 studies) and dignity therapy (4 studies) demonstrated strong empirical support. Other interventions, like psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy, were also explored. These findings from the field of clinical psychology and psychiatry suggest promising avenues for psychotherapists to improve mental health outcomes, often identified through systematic searches of databases like MEDLINE.
Abstract
Abstract Background Demoralization, a significant mental health concern in patients with chronic diseases, can have a large impact on physical symptom burden and quality of life. The present review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions for demoralization among patients with chronic diseases. Method PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science were systematically searched. Research on providing interventions to patients with chronic diseases that included quantitative data on demoralization was then systematically reviewed. Results Fourteen studies were included, most of which considered demoralization as a secondary outcome. Interventions included evidence-based meaning-centered psychotherapy, dignity therapy, psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy, and others. Ten studies used randomized controlled designs. Six of these investigated evidence-based meaning-centered therapy, and four investigated dignity therapy, showing the best empirical support for these intervention types. Most studies showed significant impacts on demoralization in patients with chronic diseases. Conclusion This systematic review provides insights into potential psychological interventions for reducing demoralization in patients with chronic diseases. Randomized controlled designs and adequately powered samples, with demoralization as the primary outcome, are needed to more clearly evaluate its effectiveness.