Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42766188›Full record

SynthesisSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2026

Psychosocial interventions for children and adolescents across the cancer care continuum: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Catherine Paterson, Maria C McCarthy, Ursula M Sansom-Daly, Claire E Wakefield, Murray R Turner, Juliana Christina, Cara Roberts, Cameron Moss, Carla Thamm, Mary-Ann Carmichael and 5 more

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

15 authors.

Catherine PatersonFlinders University, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Caring Futures Institute, Adelaide, Australia. catherine.paterson@flinders.edu.au.
Maria C McCarthyMurdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia.
Ursula M Sansom-DalyBehavioural Sciences Unit, School of Clinical Medicine, Discipline of Paediatrics and Child Health, Randwick Clinical Campus, UNSW Medicine and Health, UNSW, Randwick, NSW, Australia.
Claire E WakefieldBehavioural Sciences Unit, School of Clinical Medicine, Discipline of Paediatrics and Child Health, Randwick Clinical Campus, UNSW Medicine and Health, UNSW, Randwick, NSW, Australia.
Murray R TurnerUniversity of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
Juliana ChristinaFlinders University, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Caring Futures Institute, Adelaide, Australia.
Cara RobertsUniversity of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
Cameron MossCanberra Health Services, Canberra, Australia.
Carla ThammFlinders University, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Caring Futures Institute, Adelaide, Australia.
Mary-Ann CarmichaelFlinders University, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Caring Futures Institute, Adelaide, Australia.
Safora JohansenOslo Metropolitan University, Health Faculty, Oslo, Norway.
Morgan AtkinsonCentral Adelaide Local Health Network, Adelaide, Australia.
Michael OsbornCentral Adelaide Local Health Network, Adelaide, Australia.
Ben SinghAlliance for Research in Exercise Nutrition and Activity (ARENA), University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Imogen RamseyFlinders University, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Caring Futures Institute, Adelaide, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeTo evaluate the impact of psychosocial interventions on health outcomes among children and adolescents (0-19 years) living with cancer across the care continuum, specifically on (1) neurocognitive, (2) psychological, and (3) health-related quality of life (HRQOL) outcomes.

methodsFive electronic databases (APA PsycINFO, CINAHL, MEDLINE, Scopus and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials [CENTRAL]) were searched with no date restrictions, supplemented by backward citation chaining of the reference lists of included studies and relevant systematic reviews. All identified citations were imported into Covidence systematic review software for the removal of duplicate records and the study selection process by two reviewers. Methodological quality and meta-analyses were performed.

resultsTwo thousand nine hundred sixty-one articles were identified, and 34 studies were included. The studies were conducted in 17 countries and representative of 1988 participants. Studies investigating the effects of cognitive interventions demonstrated a significant positive effect on neurocognitive outcomes (SMD: 0.51 [95% CI: 0.32, 0.69]; I

conclusionsPsychosocial interventions improved neurocognitive, psychological, and HRQOL outcomes in children and adolescents with cancer, with the most consistent benefits for neurocognition (working memory), anxiety, and pain; effects on depression, coping, self-worth, fatigue and global HRQOL were not significant. Future trials should identify optimal intervention timing, dosage and delivery format, and stratify outcomes by age, diagnosis, and treatment intensity. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: These findings suggest the promise of interventions for improving neurocognitive, psychological, and HRQOL outcomes in children and adolescents affected by cancer, while also highlighting substantial evidence gaps, particularly for early targeted approaches in the cancer care continuum.

Indexed as

Continuity of Patient CareNeoplasmsPsychosocial InterventionQuality of LifeAdolescentChildChild, PreschoolHumansInfantYoung AdultAdolescentsCancerCare continuumChildrenMeta-analysisPsychosocial interventionsSystematic review

Identifiers

PMID42766188
PMCPMC13593794

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.