Psychological interventions for distress in cancer patients: a review of reviews

Abstract

We review a decade of review articles concerning psychosocial interventions for cancer patients. We find a distinct progression in the tone of interpretations of the literature, as better quality studies accumulate and the sophistication of reviews improves. The current literature does not make a compelling case for the value of these interventions for the typical cancer patient. The bulk of the literature reviews in this field take a narrative rather than a systematic approach, and serious compromises in standards are necessary to muster an adequate set of studies for review. The more rigorous the review, the less likely it is to conclude there is evidence that psychological interventions are effective.