Systematic Review of Interventions for Demoralization in Patients With Cancer.
The Journal of nervous and mental disease – April 01, 2023
Source: PubMed
Summary
Cancer patients facing demoralization - a profound sense of helplessness and loss of meaning - can find hope in effective treatments. Both psychedelic-assisted therapy and traditional psychological interventions show promising results in restoring patients' sense of purpose and resilience. Analysis of 14 clinical studies reveals that most approaches successfully reduced demoralization, with 10 programs demonstrating clear positive outcomes.
Abstract
Demoralization as cancer-related mental health needs to be understood and addressed by clinical staff. This review systematically examined the characteristics and outcomes of interventions for demoralization in patients with cancer. Seven databases-PubMed, PsycINFO, Cinahl, Embase, Web of Science, Medline, and Cochrane Library Databases of Systematic Reviews-were systematically searched for relevant literature. We included intervention studies focusing on interventions for demoralization in patients with cancer. We ultimately included 14 studies. Overall, 10 studies had a positive effect on improving demoralization in patients with cancer, including two main types of interventions: psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy and psychological interventions. This review summarizes information on interventions for demoralization in patients with cancer. To provide precise care for demoralization in patients with cancer, future studies should use more rigorous methods to test interventions that may affect demoralization.