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. 2025 Sep 11;18(3):14-41.
doi: 10.3822/ijtmb.v18i3.1255. eCollection 2025 Sep.

A Qualitative Scoping Review of Massage and Massage Therapy on the Mental Health and Well-being of Individuals Living with a Serious and Potentially Life-limiting Physical Illness

Sarah Fogarty  1 , Ronna Moore  2 , Cal Cates  3
Affiliations

A Qualitative Scoping Review of Massage and Massage Therapy on the Mental Health and Well-being of Individuals Living with a Serious and Potentially Life-limiting Physical Illness

Sarah Fogarty et al. Int J Ther Massage Bodywork. .

Abstract

Background: Serious illness "is a health condition that carries a high risk of mortality and either negatively impacts a person's daily function or quality of life or excessively strains their caregivers."

Purpose: The aim of this review was to explore the contribution of massage and massage therapy to the mental health and well-being of individuals living with a serious and potentially life-limiting illness.

Methods: A scoping review was conducted following Arksey and O'Malley's six-step scoping review framework and the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. The electronic databases PubMed, CINAHL, MEDLINE (OVID), PsychINFO, CENTRAL, Web of Science, PROQUEST Dissertations and Theses, and Scopus were searched to identify qualitative or mixed-methods studies. The qualitative data were coded from the studies and themes emerged. For the final stage of analysis, a thematic synthesis was utilized.

Findings: Sixteen papers were included from eight countries. The overarching theme was "the effable and ineffable impacts of massage" informed by the following themes: massage as a transcendent experience, existential respite, massage helping to preserve dignity, increased inner resources, well-being and relaxation as part of the individualized and personalized vocabulary for massage for the seriously ill, and varied outcomes of the effect of massage on physical symptoms.

Conclusion: Good mental health and well-being are important aspects of living well with serious illness. The review found there is a considerable body of research which points to the value and impact of massage on outcomes of well-being and mental health and, broadly, on patient experience.

Keywords: Massage; comfort; coping; massage therapy palliative; mental health; relaxation; serious illness; well-being.

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Conflict of interest statement

CONFLICT OF INTEREST NOTIFICATION: Authors SF and RM work clinically as massage therapists. CC is part of an organization that advocates and teaches massage for individuals affected by illness.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PRISMA flow chart for an exploration of the contributions of massage therapy to the mental health of individuals living with a serious and potentially life-limiting physical illness: a scoping review.
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