Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34240256›Full record

SynthesisSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2021

Effects of psychosocial interventions on psychological outcomes among caregivers of advanced cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Jocelyn Zhi Jia Lee, Hui-Chen Chen, Jia Xin Lee, Piyanee Klainin-Yobas

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
20citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

20 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Effective Solutions for Caregivers of Older Adults: A Review of Systematic Reviews.Journal of applied gerontology : the official journal of the Southern Gerontological Society · 2025
    Pooled it
  2. Effectiveness of telemedicine-based psychosocial intervention for breast cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2023
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  5. Quality of life and appraisal factors of patients with advanced cancer and their family caregivers.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Jocelyn Zhi Jia LeeAlice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, National University of Singapore, Level 2, Clinical Research Centre, Block MD11, 10 Medical Drive, Singapore, 117597, Singapore.
Hui-Chen ChenAlice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, National University of Singapore, Level 2, Clinical Research Centre, Block MD11, 10 Medical Drive, Singapore, 117597, Singapore.
Jia Xin LeeNg Teng Fong General Hospital, 1 Jurong East Street 21, Singapore, 609606, Singapore.
Piyanee Klainin-YobasAlice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, National University of Singapore, Level 2, Clinical Research Centre, Block MD11, 10 Medical Drive, Singapore, 117597, Singapore. nurpk@nus.edu.sg.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2581-4572

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThis systematic review aimed to synthesize the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions on caregivers of advanced cancer patients, in comparison with usual care, on caregivers' quality of life (QoL), anxiety, and depression symptoms.

methodsComprehensive searches for published and unpublished studies were performed using nine electronic databases, two trial registers, and reference lists of included studies. Two reviewers independently screened, appraised, and extracted data. The Cochrane risk of bias tool was used to appraise the methodological quality of included studies, while the Cochrane data extraction tool was used to elicit relevant information. Meta-analysis, narrative analysis, and sensitivity analysis were conducted to synthesize data. Standardized mean differences (SMD) represented effects of psychosocial interventions.

resultsFifteen randomized controlled trials were included in this review. At post-intervention, findings revealed a significant small pooled effect size (SMD = 0.45) on QoL and significant moderate effect on depression (SMD = - 0.65). However, a small non-significant pooled effect size was observed on anxiety (SMD = - 0.24). At follow-up assessments, effect sizes of all outcomes were small and non-significant. Overall quality of evidence was rated very low for all outcomes and most studies had unclear or high risk of bias. Thus, results should be interpreted with caution.

conclusionPsychosocial interventions were effective in improving QoL and depression among caregivers of persons with advanced cancer. However, future randomized control trials with lower risk of bias, larger sample size, detailed participant characteristics, and informative interventions are desirable.

Indexed as

NeoplasmsQuality of LifeAnxietyCaregiversDepressionHumansPsychosocial InterventionAnxietyCancerCaregiversDepressionPsychosocial interventionsQuality of lifeSystematic review

Identifiers

PMID34240256

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.