Study designs of evaluations included in the review
Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing psychosocial treatment(s) with no psychosocial treatment were eligible for inclusion. The duration of the interventions and follow-up periods varied widely between the studies; details of these were tabulated in the review.
Specific interventions included in the review
Studies of any psychosocial intervention were eligible for inclusion if they sought to improve survival or psychological well-being in people with cancer and included an untreated control group. The exact interventions varied widely and no overarching definition was provided. Examples of interventions included in the review were: individual counselling as needed over a 1-year period; weekly group therapy for one year, plus instruction in self hypnosis to control pain; supportive group sessions led by a facilitator for 3 months and undertaken without leadership for a further 3 months; cognitive-behavioural group therapy weekly for 8 weeks and a family night followed by 3 monthly sessions; three home visits and 5 telephone calls by specialist nurses over a 4-week period following surgery; individual psychotherapy every second day or more frequently if needed during hospital stay; a clinic tour, general information, and question and answer session with an oncology counsellor; and tape recordings and written material giving concrete information or instructions for self care and coping during radiation therapy. The full list of interventions was reported in the review.
Studies of interventions aimed exclusively at reducing adverse effects from treatment were excluded.
Participants included in the review
Studies were eligible for inclusion if they included people with cancer, aged 18 years or older. The participants included in the review were heterogeneous with respect to gender, cancer type, stage of disease and other treatments received. Data on the types and stages of cancer in each primary study were tabulated in the review.
Outcomes assessed in the review
Studies that assessed survival or psychological well-being were eligible for inclusion. Psychological well-being was defined in several ways, including anxiety, depression, mood, pain intensity and quality of life. A number of different scales were used to measure the outcomes; details of these were tabulated in the review.
How were decisions on the relevance of primary studies made?
The authors did not state how the papers were selected for the review, or how many reviewers performed the selection.