SynthesisSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2025
The effectiveness of guided imagery on psychological outcomes and quality of life in cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
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.
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
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Integrative options for the management of anxiety and depression in people with cancer.Frontiers in oncology · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeTo evaluate the effectiveness of guided imagery (GI) in reducing anxiety and depression and improving quality of life in adult cancer patients.
methodsPotential studies published up to December 31, 2024, were identified through a comprehensive search of seven electronic databases and the reference lists of similar reviews. Eligibility was determined based on the PICOS criteria, including adults (≥ 18 years) with a cancer diagnosis, GI alone or combined with progressive muscle relaxation as the intervention, outcomes of anxiety, depression, and quality of life, and a randomized controlled trial (RCT) design. The risk of bias in the included studies was assessed by two independent researchers using the Cochrane Collaboration's Risk of Bias Tool. When appropriate data were available, the meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan 5.4 software. This review has been registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) under the registration number CRD42025643563.
resultsThis systematic review and meta-analysis included nine RCTs. The sample sizes of the included RCTs ranged from 30 to 208, with a total of 837 participants evaluated. All nine RCTs included demonstrated that GI significantly reduced anxiety levels (standardized mean difference [SMD]: -1.30 [95% CI: -1.98, -0.63]; p < .001). Seven RCTs also reported a significant reduction in depression levels (SMD: -1.11 [95% CI: -1.71, -0.51]; p < .001). Furthermore, four RCTs showed that GI significantly improved quality of life (SMD: 1.11 [95% CI: 0.44, 1.78]; p < .001).
conclusionsGuided imagery can be considered a complementary and integrative intervention that can be implemented during the treatment and rehabilitation phases of cancer patients to reduce anxiety and depression and enhance quality of life. However, since there is currently no standardized approach regarding session duration and frequency of this intervention, it is recommended to implement GI in clinical practice using structured protocols more extensively. Additionally, further research is necessary to evaluate its long-term effects.
Indexed as
Identifiers
41094273What OpenQuestion holds
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.