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Background:  A range of psychological issues often accompany breast cancer chemotherapy. Owing to their ubiquity, mobile phones have been used to deliver supportive interventions that address these issues. However, we currently lack sufficient evidence to guide the design of such interventions.  Aim:  To analyse and synthesise available evidence on the effectiveness of mobile-phone-based (mHealth) interventions in alleviating the psychological issues experienced by women receiving chemotherapy for breast cancer. Methods:  A systematic literature search was conducted from 14 relevant databases. Revman 5.4 was used to pool the quantitative results from comparable studies for statistical meta-analysis. For clinically heterogeneous studies where statistical pooling of results was not possible, a narrative summary was used to present the findings.  Results:  The review included ten published studies which covered 1,548 patients. The meta-analysis results indicated a significant improvement in the quality of life (standardised mean difference [SMD] = 0.32, 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.07, 0.58],  p  = .01, I 2  = 17%). No significant effects were found for anxiety (SMD = -0.01, 95% CI [-0.26, 0.25],  p  = 0.96, I 2  = 53%) and depression (SMD = 0.02, 95% CI [-0.17, 0.20],  p  = .87, I 2  = 0%). Individual studies suggest reduced symptom prevalence ( p  = .033,  d  =.27), symptom distress ( p  = .004,  d =  .004), symptom interference ( p  = .02,  d = . 51),supportive care needs ( p  < .05,  d =  2.43); improved self-efficacy ( p  = .03,  d =  0.53), self-esteem ( p  <.001,  d  = 0.87) andemotional functioning ( p  = .008,  d =  .30). The methodological quality ranged from low to moderate.  Conclusion:  mHealth interventions might be helpful in addressing certain psychological issues experienced by this population, although the evidence is still being gathered and not yet conclusive. More rigorous trials are hereby warranted to confirm the suitable duration while addressing the methodological flaws found in previous studies

Background A range of psychological issues often accompany breast cancer chemotherapy. Due to their ubiquity, mobile phones have been used to deliver supportive interventions addressing these issues. However, we currently lack sufficient evidence to guide the design of such interventions. Aim To analyse and synthesise available evidence on the effectiveness of mobile‐phone‐based (mHealth) interventions in alleviating the psychological issues experienced by women receiving chemotherapy for breast cancer. Methods A systematic literature search was conducted from 14 relevant databases. Revman 5.4 was used to pool the quantitative results from comparable studies for statistical meta‐analysis. For clinically heterogeneous studies where statistical pooling of results was not possible, a narrative summary was used to present the findings. Results The review included nine RCTs which covered 1457 patients. The meta‐analysis results indicated a significant improvement in the quality of life (standardised mean difference [SMD] = 0.32, 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.07, 0.58], p = .01, I2 = 17%). No significant effects were found for anxiety (SMD = −0.01, 95% CI [−0.26, 0.25], p = .96, I2 = 53%) and depression (SMD = 0.02, 95% CI [−0.17, 0.20], p = .87, I2 = 0%). Individual studies suggest reduced symptom prevalence (p = .033, d = 0.27), symptom distress (p = .004, d = 0.34), symptom interference (p = .02, d = 0.51), supportive care needs (p < .05, d = 2.43); improved self‐efficacy (p = .03, d = 0.53), self‐esteem (p < .001, d = 0.87) and emotional functioning (p = .008, d = 0.30). The methodological quality ranged from low to moderate. Conclusion mHealth interventions might help address certain psychological issues experienced by this population, although the evidence is still being gathered and not yet conclusive. More rigorous trials are warranted to confirm the suitable duration while addressing the methodological flaws found in previous studies. PROSPERO registration number CRD42021224307.

Breast and gynaecological cancer (BGC) patients receiving chemotherapy may experience high levels of stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. Music interventions may be effective in lowering their stress levels. This study explored stressors, coping strategies, and the feasibility of music interventions among BGC patients in Vietnam. An exploratory qualitative study with individual face-to-face semi-structured interviews was conducted. A convenience sample of BGC patients receiving chemotherapy was recruited from the oncology centre of a public hospital in Vietnam. Twenty patients were interviewed with open-ended questions developed based on the transactional model of stress and coping to explore stress-causing factors and coping strategies and based on guidelines for music therapy practice to explore their music preferences and perceptions. Field notes and interview transcripts were analysed following the qualitative content analysis approach. Two stressor themes were identified: undesirable experiences during treatment and patients’ inability to fulfil their own roles and responsibilities. Our findings revealed a new coping strategy—self-realisation of responsibilities towards the family—that is not listed in the transactional model of stress and coping. Future psychological interventions for stress management among BGC patients should focus on raising the patients’ awareness of their values and responsibilities towards their families. Three categories of preferred music genres for stress reduction were identified: religious, softly melodic, and revolutionary music. The patients were aware of the positive effects of music and had different musical preferences. This study also explored the acceptance of music interventions and facilitators and barriers to implementing them among BGC patients in Vietnam. The findings suggest that before implementing music interventions, the musical preferences, religions, and beliefs of each individual should be considered to achieve desirable results. Music interventions for BGC patients receiving chemotherapy in Vietnam are feasible. Further intervention studies are needed to evaluate their effectiveness.