SynthesisPsycho-oncology2016
Relations of meaning in life and sense of coherence to distress in cancer patients: a meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Psycho-oncology, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 70 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
70 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 181 citations in OpenAlex.
- Factors associated with sense of coherence in patients with malignant tumors: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Pooled it
- Acceptance and commitment therapy processes and their association with distress in cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Health psychology review · 2024Pooled it
- Effects of meaning-based psychotherapy on post-traumatic growth and death anxiety in patients with cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2024Pooled it
- Meaning in Life and the Acceptance of Cancer: A Systematic Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Pooled it
- Psychological interventions to foster resilience in healthcare students.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2020Pooled it
- Psychological interventions to foster resilience in healthcare professionals.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2020Pooled it
- Pooled it
- The Effect of Happiness Educational Program of Fordyce on the Sense of Coherence and Psychological Well-being of Adolescents with a Parent with Cancer: A Randomized Clinical Trial.International journal of community based nursing and midwifery · 2024Trial
- Exploring meaning in life as a potential target for early intervention - results from a randomized trauma analogue study.European journal of psychotraumatology · 2024Trial
- Examining the effect of peer helping in a coping skills intervention: a randomized controlled trial for advanced gastrointestinal cancer patients and their family caregivers.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2018Trial
- Predictors of psychological resilience among high-risk professionals: a two-year follow-up study in Dutch firefighters.European journal of psychotraumatology · 2026Article
- Sense of coherence and health-related outcomes among patients with breast cancer: a systematic review.Korean journal of family medicine · 2026Article
- Psychological Factors Associated with Treatment Adherence in Patients Undergoing Maintenance Hemodialysis: A Cross-Sectional Network Analysis.Patient preference and adherence · 2026Article
- Self-esteem and existential distress among patients with advanced cancer: mediation by a sense of control and meaning in life.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Perceptions of "Healthy Life Expectancy" of Individuals With Diseases: An Online Survey in Japan.Health science reports · 2025Article
- Spirituality and Pain among Post-treatment Cancer Patients in Poland: Mediation by Meaning in Life and Pain Coping Strategies.Journal of religion and health · 2025Article
- Qualitative study on the sense of meaning in life in uremic patients undergoing initial hemodialysis.International journal of qualitative studies on health and well-being · 2025Article
- Meaning in life among Norwegian outpatients with personality disorders: a cross-sectional study.BMC psychiatry · 2025Article
- Return to the New Normal with the Positive Religious Coping and Transformative Power of Suffering After the 2023 Kahramanmaraş Earthquake, Türkiye.Journal of religion and health · 2025Article
- Unmet Supportive Care Needs in Cancer Survivors in Spain: A Multicentre Cross-Sectional Study on Prevalence and Sociodemographic and Disease-Related Risk Factors.Current oncology (Toronto, Ont.) · 2025Article
10 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveCancer patients report high rates of distress. The related constructs of meaning in life (MiL) and sense of coherence (SOC) have long been recognized as important factors in the psychological adjustment to cancer; however, both constructs' associations with distress have not been quantitatively reviewed or compared in this population. Informed by Park's integrated meaning-making model and Antonovsky's salutogenic model, the goals of this meta-analysis were the following: (1) to compare the strength of MiL-distress and SOC-distress associations in cancer patients; and (2) to examine potential moderators of both associations (i.e., age, gender, ethnicity, religious affiliation, disease stage, and time since diagnosis).
methodsA literature search was conducted using electronic databases. Overall, 62 records met inclusion criteria. The average MiL-distress and SOC-distress associations were quantified as Pearson's r correlation coefficients and compared using a one-way ANOVA.
resultsBoth MiL and SOC demonstrated significant, negative associations with distress (r = -0.41, 95% CI: -0.47 to -0.35, k = 44; and r = -0.59, 95% CI: -0.67 to -0.51, k = 18, respectively). Moreover, the MiL-distress association was significantly smaller than the SOC-distress association (Qb = 10.42, df = 1, p < 0.01). Neither association varied by the tested moderators.
conclusionsFindings provide support for the clinical relevance of MiL and SOC across demographic and medical subgroups of cancer patients. The strength of the SOC-distress association suggests that incorporating aspects of SOC (e.g., the perceived manageability of life circumstances) into meaning-centered interventions may improve their effectiveness for distressed cancer patients.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.