The effectiveness of psychoeducational interventions on caregiver‐oriented outcomes in caregivers of adult cancer patients: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

• Published in: Psycho-oncology (Chichester, England) Vol. 32; no. 2; pp. 189 - 202
• Main Authors: Kusi, Grace, Atenafu, Eshetu G., Boamah Mensah, Adwoa Bemah, Lee, Charlotte T., Viswabandya, Auro, Puts, Martine, Mayo, Samantha
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.02.2023
• Subjects: Adult; Anxiety; Cancer; Caregiver burden; Caregivers; Caregivers - psychology; Caregiving; Depression - psychology; Depression - therapy; family caregivers; Health psychology; Health status; Humans; informal caregivers; Intervention; malignancy; Mental depression; Meta-analysis; Moderation; Neoplasms - psychology; Neoplasms - therapy; oncology; psychoeducational intervention; Psychoeducational treatment; Psychological distress; Psychosocial factors; Psychosocial Support Systems; Psychosocial well being; Quality of Life; Systematic review; tumour; family caregivers; malignancy; tumour; meta-analysis; cancer; intervention; psychoeducational intervention; systematic review; informal caregivers; oncology
• ISSN: 1057-9249; 1099-1611; 1099-1611
• DOI: 10.1002/pon.6050

Objective Cancer caregiving can result in increased psychosocial distress and poor health‐related quality of life (QOL). Psychoeducation has been shown to be effective in enhancing caregiving‐oriented outcomes. A systematic assessment of the overall effect of psychoeducational intervention (PEI) and identification of individual intervention characteristics that may contribute to the effectiveness of PEI is needed. Methods For this meta‐analysis, relevant articles were identified through electronic databases using key search terms and their medical subject heading such as “family caregiver,” “cancer,” and “psychoeducational intervention.” Results Twenty‐eight controlled trials with 3876 participants were included. PEIs had beneficial effect on depression (Standardized Mean Difference [SMD] −0.26; 95% CI = −0.50 to −0.01, p < 0.04), anxiety (SMD −0.41; 95% CI = −0.82 to 0.01, p < 0.05), caregiver burden (SMD −0.84; 95% CI = −1.22 to −0.46, p < 0.0001) and QOL (SMD 0.59, 95% CI 0.24–0.93; p < 0.0009) at the immediate post‐intervention period. At longer‐term follow‐up, the effectiveness of PEI was maintained on QOL (SMD 0.39, 95% CI = −0.00 to −0.77, p < 0.05), and anxiety (SMD −0.57; 95% CI = −1.09 to −0.06, p < 0.03). Moderation analysis showed that intervention characteristics such as studies conducted in high‐income countries, group intervention and studies that focused on specific and mixed cancers explain some of the high variations observed among the included studies. Conclusions PEI may benefit caregivers of cancer patients through the significant effects on caregiver burden, QOL, anxiety, and depression. The findings from the moderation analysis may be important for the design of future interventions.