23 April 2026

Nonpharmacological support alleviates psychological stress in cancer patients

Distress, anxiety and depression are typical side effects of cancer. A systematic literature review and meta-analysis now elucidates how counselings, training or structured support services help those affected and their relatives.

For the meta-analysis published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, 68 randomised controlled studies with a total of almost 12'000 patients and their family caregivers were evaluated. Various nonpharmacologic interventions were examined, including psychoeducational offers, therapeutic counseling, training in coping strategies and behavioral change measures.

Positive effects of short-term interventions

The results show that anxiety, depressive symptoms and psychological distress in patients can be significantly reduced, particularly in the first few months after the intervention. For relatives, short-term improvements in anxiety and depression were particularly measurable. The most effective interventions proved to be those in which the patients and their relatives were involved together and which were designed in a dialog-oriented manner.

Long-term support appears to be indicated

At the same time, the study also highlights limitations: Long-term effects beyond six months have hardly been proven to date. The authors therefore see a need for sustainable, easily integrated support services - for example by combining face-to-face conversations with digital formats.