Presentation (CTI)

OBJECTIVES: Parents and caregivers of children with cancer commonly experience anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress symptoms across the treatment journey. This overview of systematic reviews and meta-analyses synthesised what is known about interventions designed to prevent or reduce mental health problems in parents and caregivers of children, adolescents, and young people with cancer.
METHODS: We searched PubMed (MEDLINE), Embase, PsycINFO, the Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, and Web of Science for literature reviews, systematic reviews and meta-analyses from January 2020 to April 2026. We included reviews evaluating any psychosocial, educational, digital, or technology-based intervention targeting caregivers of children aged 0-18 years with cancer. We included studies that reported at least one caregiver's mental health-related outcome. The quality of the included reviews was assessed using the 11-item AMSTAR criteria.
RESULTS: Fifteen systematic reviews and meta-analyses were included, representing 6,971 caregivers across the underlying primary studies. Interventions included cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT)-based programmes, problem-solving skills training (PSST), psychoeducational approaches, family-based therapies, resilience-focused programmes, and technology-delivered/digital health interventions. Across meta-analyses, interventions were associated with reductions in anxiety (standardised mean differences [SMD] −0.38 to −1.47), depression (SMD −0.33 to −0.92), and post-traumatic stress symptoms (Hedges’ g −0.27 to SMD −0.86) at post-intervention. Resilience improved in studies reporting this outcome (SMDs ranging from 0.83 to 4.68). Effects on quality of life were inconsistent across reviews. Overall, CBT-based and family-systems approaches showed the most consistent evidence of benefit.
CONCLUSIONS: Psychosocial interventions can meaningfully reduce common mental health symptoms in caregivers of children with cancer, with the strongest support for CBT-based and problem-solving approaches. Digital and technology-enabled delivery may help extend support to caregivers who face barriers to accessing in-person services. Future research should prioritise randomised trials that recruit diverse caregiver groups, assess longer-term outcomes, and include economic evaluations to guide implementation and scale-up.