Sheinfeld Gorin, S., Krebs, P., Badr, H., Janke, E.A., Jim, H.S., Spring, B., . . . Jacobsen, P.B. (2012). Meta-analysis of psychosocial interventions to reduce pain in patients with cancer. Journal of Clinical Oncology: Official Journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, 30(5), 539–547.
The search retrieved 1,681 studies published 1996–2010. Three pairs of raters independently reviewed 1,681 abstracts, using an online coding program designed for this project. Studies meeting the inclusion criteria were evaluated for quality according to a modified seven-item coding scheme based on the Physiotherapy Evidence Database. The project leader reviewed findings from rater pairs, resolved discrepancies, and produced a final list of studies for full-text examination. The list of studies was divided among the three pairs of raters.
The weighted average effect size in 38 comparisons for pain severity (k = 38) was 0.34 (95% CI 0.23–0.46; p < 0.001). The weighted average effect size in four comparisons for pain interference was 0.40 (95% CI 0.21–0.60; p < 0.001). Among studies that measured pain severity, skills-based interventions yielded a higher but statistically nonsignificant effect size than did educational approaches (k = 18, g = 0.45 versus k = 19, g = –0.29, respectively; p = 0.22).
Psychosocial interventions decrease cancer-related pain severity and the extent to which pain interferes with activities. Both skills instruction and education approaches can improve the management of cancer pain.