Clin Psychopharmacol Neurosci.  2023 Feb;21(1):118-125. 10.9758/cpn.2023.21.1.118.

Effects of Psychosocial Interventions for Patients with Breast Cancer: A Meta-analysis

• Hwang KS
• Lee KH
• Yang CM
• Lee HJ
• Lee SY

• KMID: 2539656
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.9758/cpn.2023.21.1.118

Abstract

Objective
This study involved a meta-analysis of South Korean studies regarding psychosocial interventions for patients with breast cancer to provide basic data to support the development of an integrated healthcare service model.
Methods
Randomized controlled studies with a pretest-posttest design were selected, and those presenting means, standard deviations, and standardized mean differences were included. For quality evaluation and heterogeneity testing, the Jadad scale and the Q-value and I 2 were used. To estimate the effect size of each study, Hedge’s g was used. Publication bias was analyzed with the Funnel plot and Egger’s regression test.
Results
Of the 28 studies selected for the, meta-analysis was performed on eight. The total number of datasets included in the meta-analysis was 33. The evaluation based on the Jadad scale revealed no significant inter-rater variation (p = 0.35). The mean number of sessions was 7.93 and the mean intervention time was 13.2 hours. The interventions were mostly administered in a group structure (94%) and, regarding the type, they were categorized as integrated (36.4%), cognitive (30.3%), and meditation (24.2%). The mean effect size was 1.21 against no treatment group.
Conclusion
The analyzed studies showed heterogeneity, with a corresponding asymmetry found on the Funnel plot. Despite the heterogeneity and publication bias, the mean effect size was significantly large. Cognitive interventions, meditation, and psychological education programs are expected to assist in reducing negative emotions and enhancing quality of life in patients with breast cancer.

Keyword

Breast cancer; Psychosocial intervention; Meta-analysis