Effects of meaning therapy on spirituality, psychological health, and quality of life in patients with cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Abstract
Objective This study aimed to systematically review studies of meaning therapy on patients with cancer and to evaluate its effectiveness on spiritual outcomes, psychological outcomes, and quality of life (QOL). Methods A comprehensive literature search were performed in five international databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library, and CINAHL) and four Chinese databases (CNKI, Wanfang Data, VIP, and CBM) from the inception to August 2023. The methodological quality of each included studies was evaluated by using the revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials. The random-effects model or fixed-effects model was utilized for effect size analysis, and the standardized mean difference (SMD) or mean difference (MD) along with its corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) was computed. Meta-analysis was conducted by using the RevMan software 5.4.1. Results Eight randomized controlled trials with 1251 participants were included in this review. Meta-analyses revealed that meaning therapy can significantly improve the spiritual outcomes including meaning in life (SMD = −0.48; 95% CI = −0.89 to −0.07; P = 0.02), hopelessness (SMD = −0.30; 95% CI = −0.51 to −0.09; P = 0.005), self-esteem (MD = −2.74; 95% CI = −4.17 to −1.32; P = 0.0002) and spiritual well-being (MD = −3.32; 95% CI = −5.63 to −1.01; P = 0.005), psychological outcomes including anxiety (MD = −0.66; 95% CI = −1.30 to −0.01; P = 0.05), depression (SMD = −0.37; 95% CI = −0.55 to −0.20; P…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a meta-analysis, done in people. Its evidence level is 1 of 5 (Highest · pooled evidence). Pooled evidence from several studies sits at the top of the evidence pyramid. Reported size: 1,251 participants or records.
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