Psychosocial and Integrative Oncology: Interventions Across the Disease Trajectory

People diagnosed with and treated for cancer commonly experience distress, anxiety, depression, fear of recurrence, and caregiver burden, along with fatigue, pain, and sleep disturbance. This review covers psychological reactions across the disease continuum and evaluates interventions such as acceptance-based and mindfulness therapies, mind-body approaches, meaning-based therapies for advanced disease, and psychedelic therapy. It also identifies methodological shortcomings in the evidence base, offers design recommendations, and discusses future directions including pragmatic research designs, digital health interventions, and implementation science.

Study at a glance

Abstract

This article provides an overview of the fields of psychosocial and integrative oncology, highlighting common psychological reactions to being diagnosed with and treated for cancer, including distress, anxiety, depression, fear of cancer recurrence and caregiver burden, as well as symptoms of fatigue, pain, and sleep disturbance. Patterns of symptomatology across the disease continuum are also discussed. Interventions targeted at treating these symptoms are reviewed, including acceptance-based and mindfulness therapies, mind-body therapies, and meaning-based approaches designed for people with advanced stages of disease, including psychedelic therapy. Common methodological issues and shortcomings of the evidence base are summarized with design recommendations, and a discussion of trends in future research including pragmatic research design, digital health interventions, and implementation science completes the article.