SynthesisThe Gerontologist2026
Effectiveness of psychosocial interventions for anticipatory grief in informal caregivers for people living with dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in The Gerontologist, 2026. 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
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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.
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Anticipatory Grief Among Family Caregivers of Cancer Patients in Home Palliative Care: A Constructivist Grounded Theory.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND
objectivesPsychosocial interventions support informal caregivers of people with dementia, but their impact on anticipatory grief and related health outcomes remains unclear. This review examines the effectiveness of different psychosocial approaches in addressing these outcomes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND
methodsA systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted following PRISMA guidelines and registered in PROSPERO (CRD42024629388). Eight databases were searched from inception to January 10, 2025. Two reviewers independently screened studies, assessed bias, and extracted data. Leave-one-out sensitivity and subgroup analyses addressed heterogeneity. Evidence quality was assessed using the GRADEpro Guideline Development Tool.
resultsEleven interventional studies were included. Psychosocial interventions (n = 6) had no significant short-term (<1 month: SMD = -0.57, 95% CI: [-1.14, 0.01], p = .05, I2 = 85%) or medium-term (1-6 months; SMD = -0.76, 95% CI: [-1.99, 0.46], p = .22, I2 = 88%, n = 3) effect on anticipatory grief but showed improvement in the long term (≥6 months; MD = -0.41, 95% CI: [-0.62, -0.20], p = .0001, I2 = 0%, n = 2). Short-term reductions in depression were also observed, with no significant effects in other outcomes. Subgroup analyses did not identify frameworks or delivery methods linked to better outcomes. The GRADEpro rated the evidence as "Low" to "Very Low." DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Overall, psychosocial interventions have limited short- and medium-term impact on anticipatory grief. Individual, technology-mediated cognitive-behavioral approaches may improve anticipatory grief in long term, but evidence is limited. Further research should clarify the concept of anticipatory grief and evaluate interventions in large, rigorous RCTs. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42024629388.
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