Caring for the mental health of cancer patients: Systematic review of mental adaptation to cancer

This review aims to describe the literature on mental adaptation to cancer and to examine how coping strategies influence psychological outcomes among cancer patients.

What coping strategies related to mental adaptation to cancer are reported among patients with breast, lung, colorectal, prostate, and bladder cancers?

Systematic review reported according to the PRISMA guidelines.

A comprehensive literature search was conducted in the PubMed database. Study methodological quality was evaluated using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tools, and the certainty of evidence was assessed according to the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine. Article selection, quality assessment, and risk-of-bias evaluation were conducted independently by two reviewers.

The search identified 173,274 records, of which 42 studies met the eligibility criteria after screening. Most studies were cross-sectional and conducted in hospital oncology departments, outpatient clinics, rehabilitation programs, or community follow-up services. Findings indicate that the diagnostic and early treatment phases represent the most psychologically vulnerable periods for cancer patients. Maladaptive coping strategies, particularly helplessness–hopelessness and anxious preoccupation, were associated with increased psychological distress, including anxiety and depression. Sociodemographic factors such as age, gender, education, income, and social support also influenced psychological outcomes.

Early psychological assessment and psychosocial interventions during the first months after diagnosis may improve mental health outcomes. Further research should explore digital health tools and remote support systems to enhance psychological care for cancer patients.