Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41013473›Full record

ArticleBMC palliative care2025

Psychological distress interventions for family members in palliative care: a scoping review.

Haichen Wu, Pengxin Dong, Yidan Chai, Ping Huang, Huiqiao Huang

Abstract readScoping Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC palliative care, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed, 1 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

9 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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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

5 authors.

Haichen WuNursing Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Daxue East Road 166, Nanning, Guangxi, 530005, China.
Pengxin DongNursing Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Daxue East Road 166, Nanning, Guangxi, 530005, China.
Yidan ChaiNursing Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Daxue East Road 166, Nanning, Guangxi, 530005, China.
Ping HuangNursing Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Daxue East Road 166, Nanning, Guangxi, 530005, China.
Huiqiao HuangNursing Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Daxue East Road 166, Nanning, Guangxi, 530005, China. hhq@sr.gxmu.edu.cn.

Funding

Guangxi Philosophy and Social Science Research Project 22FRK004
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundWith the rapid increase in demand for palliative care, patients' families face serious psychological distress; however, there are fewer intervention studies on psychological distress in family members.

objectiveThis study aimed to provide an overview of interventions and their effectiveness on psychological distress in family members of palliative care patients.

methodsThis study utilized a scoping review methodology, based on the framework proposed by Arksey and O'Malley, by searching six databases (including PubMed, Cochrane, Embase, Ovid medline, Scopus, and Web of Sciences) to screen the eligible research literature. Studies on psychological distress interventions for family members of palliative care patients were included, and data on study design, intervention type, and intervention effect were extracted, summarized, and analyzed.

resultsA search of six databases initially yielded 23,697 records. After deduplication and screening, 34 eligible studies were retained (n = 34). These reports originated from The USA (n = 13), Europe (n = 11), Asia (n = 6), and Australia (n = 4). Study designs comprised randomized controlled trials, pre- and post-test comparisons, and pilot studies. The interventions identified included psychological and psychosocial interventions; problem-solving and cognitive-behavioral interventions; web-based or mobile app interventions; relaxation, art, and music therapy interventions; communication, expression, and group interventions; dignity therapy; and structured family meetings. More than half of the studies demonstrated significant improvements in family caregivers' psychological distress.

conclusionsAlthough psychological distress interventions for family members of palliative care patients have been effective, there are still limitations in the study and further research is needed to meet the needs of different groups of family members and to better support their mental health.

Indexed as

FamilyPalliative CarePsychological DistressStress, PsychologicalHumansCaregiversFamily membersPalliative carePsychological distress

Identifiers

PMID41013473
PMCPMC12466072

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Registered trials

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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.