Psychosocial and Integrative Oncology: Interventions Across the Disease Trajectory
Annual Review of Psychology September 14, 2022 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-psych-032620-031757 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Interventions | acceptance-based and mindfulness therapies mind-body therapies meaning-based approaches psychedelic therapy |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Keywords | Psychological intervention Psychosocial Psychotherapist Distress Disease Integrative medicine Psycho-oncology Clinical psychology Alternative medicine |
| Citations | 50 |
| Key findings | Psychosocial and integrative oncology interventions, including mindfulness, mind-body, and meaning-based therapies, target common cancer-related symptoms, but the evidence base has methodological shortcomings that future pragmatic and digital health research should address. |
Abstract
This article provides an overview of the fields of psychosocial and integrative oncology, highlighting common psychological reactions to being diagnosed with and treated for cancer, including distress, anxiety, depression, fear of cancer recurrence and caregiver burden, as well as symptoms of fatigue, pain, and sleep disturbance. Patterns of symptomatology across the disease continuum are also discussed. Interventions targeted at treating these symptoms are reviewed, including acceptance-based and mindfulness therapies, mind-body therapies, and meaning-based approaches designed for people with advanced stages of disease, including psychedelic therapy. Common methodological issues and shortcomings of the evidence base are summarized with design recommendations, and a discussion of trends in future research including pragmatic research design, digital health interventions, and implementation science completes the article.