Non-pharmacological interventions for psychological distress in patients with advanced cancer:a best evidence summary

SHAO Hanchi; MENG Yanjun; LI Jiangxia; SHI Hongrui; LI Lin; ZHANG Yue

doi:10.12102/j.issn.2095-8668.2026.05.001

Abstract：Objective:To retrieve,evaluate,and summarize the best evidence for non-pharmacological interventions for psychological distress in patients with advanced cancer,and provide a basis for clinical practice.Methods:Following the"6S"evidence model,literature related to non-pharmacological interventions for psychological distress in patients with advanced cancer was retrieved from domestic and international databases,guideline websites,computer decision-making systems,and professional society websites systematically,including clinical decisions,best practices,guidelines,evidence summaries,systematic reviews,and expert consensuses.The search period was from the inception to February 28,2025.Two researchers independently completed the methodological quality assessment,evidence extraction,and literature summarization.Results:A total of 21 articles were included,including 4 clinical decision articles,6 guideline articles,2 evidence summaries,and 9 systematic reviews.A total of 32 pieces of evidence were summarized from 5 aspects:health education,exercise interventions,psychosocial interventions,traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)nursing interventions,and multi-strategy intervention.Conclusions:Current evidence shows that the summarized best evidence on non-pharmacological interventions for psychological distress in patients with advanced cancer can provide evidence-based support for clinical nursing interventions.Nurses should consider the actual situation,professional skills,and patient preferences when implementing non-pharmacological intervention programs to alleviate patients'psychological distress and improve their quality of life.