Osborn, R.L., Demoncada, A.C., & Feuerstein, M. (2006). Psychosocial interventions for depression, anxiety, and quality of life in cancer survivors: Meta-analysis. International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine, 36, 13–34.
To investigate the effects of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and patient education (PE) on anxiety in adult cancer survivors
Databases searched were MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Database (1993–2004).
Search keywords were cancer, anxiety, depression, quality of life (QOL), fatigue, stress, pain, physical function, social, self-management, evidence-based, interventions, and random/randomized.
Studies were included in the review if they
Studies were excluded if they were not randomized or controlled, had a score of less than four on checklist, did not report follow-up data, or did not report data on targeted outcomes.
Dissertations were excluded.
CBT is effective for short-term management (less than 8 months) of anxiety. Individually based interventions were more effective than those delivered in a group format. Various CBT approaches provided in an individual format can assist cancer survivors in reducing the emotional distress of anxiety.