ReviewPsycho-oncology2026
Navigating the Psychosocial Journey: A Meta-Ethnographic Review of the Psychosocial Needs and Experiences of Children and Adolescents (0-19 Years) Diagnosed With Cancer Across the Care Continuum.
Review in Psycho-oncology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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
0 citing papers in PubMed.
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Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundSurvival rates for childhood cancer have improved; however, psychosocial challenges remain across diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship. Existing qualitative studies typically examine a single phase of care, limiting understanding of how psychosocial needs persist and change over time.
aimThis meta-ethnographic review synthesised qualitative evidence on the psychosocial needs and experiences of children and adolescents (0-19 years) diagnosed with cancer across the care continuum and examined how these needs evolve across phases.
methodA meta-ethnographic synthesis was conducted following Noblit and Hare's approach and reported in accordance with eMERGe guidance. Searches of six databases (Scopus, MEDLINE, Web of Science, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Google Scholar) identified 31 qualitative studies published between January 2009 and February 2025. First- and second-order constructs were extracted, coded by age group and continuum phase, and integrated into a line-of-argument synthesis.
resultsSix psychosocial domains consistently shaped children's needs and experiences: family, relationships, psychosocial care, emotions, control, and information needs. These domains remained consistent across diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship but differed in expression over time. Diagnosis was characterised by emotional shock, uncertainty, and reliance on parental containment. During treatment, children experienced procedural distress, disrupted peer relationships, and fluctuating autonomy. Survivorship involved fear of relapse, challenges with reintegration, and inconsistent psychosocial follow-up. Evidence gaps were identified for toddlers' and school-aged children's needs in survivorship.
conclusionThis synthesis highlights the prehabilitation phase as a potential window for early psychosocial intervention and supports the development of phase-responsive, developmentally responsive psychosocial care pathways extending into survivorship.
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