The Effects of Psychological Interventions on Fostering Resilience in Family Members of Pediatric Cancer Patients

Abstract

Background Interventions to foster resilience may promote mental health recovery after exposure to stressors. However, comprehensive systematic syntheses of such evidence in family members of pediatric cancer patients are lacking. Objective To systematically review and meta-analyze the evidence for the effects of psychological interventions at fostering resilience in family members of pediatric cancer patients. Methods PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and 9 other databases were searched for articles published until March 2023. Empirical studies on psychological interventions to improve resilience in family members of pediatric cancer patients were included. Full-text and quality appraisals were performed independently by 2 reviewers. Pooled effect sizes were calculated using random-effects meta-analyses. Results Seventeen studies were included, of which 10 were included in the meta-analyses. There was a positive effect of interventions on resilience at postintervention time points, but no effects on depressive symptoms, stress, or well-being. The improvement in resilience was sustained in the short term (≤3 months) and medium term (>3 to ≤6 months), with delayed effects on depressive symptoms and stress. In the 6 studies that reported moderate effect sizes, the interventions comprised problem-solving skills, cognitive strategies, promotion of personal strength, and social resources. Conclusion The findings indicated that psychological interventions targeting resilience have the potential to positively affect the resilience and mental health outcomes of family members, particularly parents. Implications for Practice Psychological interventions targeting resilience hold promise in improving the mental health of family members. Future interventions should clearly specify the characteristics of the intervention, such as mode of delivery, format, and duration.