Although the survival rate of cancer patients has been increasing, such patients often experience severe physical and psychological burdens due to the effects of the disease and therapy. Multiple virtual reality (VR)-based interventions have been used to help improve physical and psychological symptoms and quality of life in cancer patients. This study aimed to assess the effects of VR-based interventions on anxiety, pain, depression, fear, distress, and quality of life in cancer patients. We conducted systematic searches in the PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Scopus and APA PsycINFO databases from their inception to August 16, 2022. Two reviewers independently selected studies and extracted articles that met strict inclusion and exclusion criteria. Quality assessments of the included studies were performed according to the Cochrane risk assessment tool, and data analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4 software. A total of 12 studies including 425 participants in the intervention group and 400 participants in the control group were selected for the final analysis. The results showed a significant difference between the VR and control groups for anxiety (standard mean difference [SMD] =-0.83, 95% CI -1.25 to -0.42, P < 0.001), SMD = pain (SMD =-0.86, 95% CI -1.36 to -0.35, P < 0.001), depression (SMD = -0.46, 95% CI -0.74 to -0.18, P = 0.001), fear (MD = -0.82, 95% CI -1.60 to -0.03, P = 0.04), and distress (SMD = -1.16, 95% CI -1.96 to -0.37, P = 0.004). However, no significant difference was observed in quality of life (SMD = 1.01, 95% CI -0.67 to 2.70, P = 0.24). VR interventions were effective in improving physical and psychological symptoms in cancer patients. Due to the limited number of studies, small sample sizes, and moderate to high heterogeneity, these results should be interpreted with caution. More rigorous, comprehensive and high-quality randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are needed to validate the results of this study. PROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews CRD42022304931;https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=304931.

Family involvement and comfort are equally important in palliative care. Dignity undertook a new meaning and novel challenges as a result of restrictions on visits and companionship during the pandemic. Family-centered family dignity interventions have been shown to be effective in increasing patients’ sense of dignity, increasing levels of hope, and reducing psychological distress; however, the effectiveness in enhancing family adaptability and intimacy in the survivor-caregiver binary and reducing expected grief have been inconclusive. The primary objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of family dignity interventions on family adaptability and cohesion. The secondary objective was to explore the effects of the interventions on anticipatory grief and psychological distress, and the lasting effect 1 month after the intervention. A single-blinded, two-arm parallel group, randomized controlled trial was conducted in China. and methods: Ninety-eight dyads who met the inclusion criteria were randomly assigned to the family dignity intervention (n = 51) or standard palliative care group (n = 47) between June and August 2022. Study outcomes were measured at baseline, immediately post-intervention, and at the 1-month follow-up post-intervention evaluation. Data were analyzed using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, independent sample t-test, Wilcoxon rank-sum test, and generalized estimation equations. The Intention-To-Treat analysis was performed for all available data. In comparison to the control group, significant improvements in family adaptability and cohesion and anticipatory grief over post-intervention and 1-month follow-up were demonstrated among the patients in the intervention group. The intervention group of caregivers had significant improvement in anticipatory grief at post-intervention and 1-month follow-up. The level of psychological distress was significantly lower in the intervention group than the control group (p < 0.05) at 1-month follow-up but the differences were not statistically significant at post-intervention. All outcomes showed clear differences from baseline after the intervention and at the 1-month follow-up evaluation but not between post-intervention and at the 1-month follow-up evaluation. This study further verifies the actual effect of family dignity intervention program through randomized controlled trials, and provides a reference for improving the family relationship between advanced cancer patients and their family caregivers, and improving their mental health. The addition of family dignity intervention to standard palliative care greatly increased the adaptability and cohesion between survivors and their families, lessened the anticipatory grief of the survivor-caregiver pair, and relieved caregivers’ anxiety and despair. We did not detect a statistically significant difference between post-intervention and the 1-month follow-up evaluation, suggesting that the intervention may have a durable impact at least 1 month.

To explore the factors influencing family resilience in adult patients with acute leukemia undergoing chemotherapy, with the aim of providing a theoretical basis for the development of strategies to strengthen their family resilience. A descriptive phenomenological qualitative research method was used to select 11 adult acute leukemia chemotherapy patients for semi-structured interviews. Colaizzi 7-step analysis and NVivo 12.0 were used to summarize information and refine themes. The main outcomes consisted of two themes and 11 sub-themes: protective factors for family resilience (positive traits, cognitive restructuring, positive family beliefs, organizational flexibility, clear communication, and social support) and risk factors for family resilience (symptom burden, self-concealment, role overload, economic distress, and social alienation). Health care professionals should pay attention to screening protective and risk factors for family resilience in adult acute leukemia chemotherapy patients, affirming the positive role of internal and external resources available in the family in stressful situations, alleviating patients’ negative experiences, and promoting the recovery of family function.

Aims The goal of this study was to explore caregivers' experiences, perspectives, emotions, knowledge and needs in caring for older people during the COVID-19 pandemic. These included, but were not limited to, experiences in hospital care, home care and nursing home care. Background Because of the high mortality rate associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, senior care is critical. During the COVID-19 pandemic, caregivers caring for older people have had unique experiences potentially affecting the quality of care provided. This topic has received substantial attention since the start of the pandemic and has been studied by numerous researchers. However, experiences may differ among countries and time periods. In addition, no qualitative systematic reviews on this topic appear to have been published. Evaluation In this systematic review of qualitative studies, data were collected from the following electronic databases: PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), Science Direct and PsycINFO. Titles and abstracts were screened according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, full texts were screened and the methodological quality of included studies was assessed with the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Qualitative Research by two independent reviewers. Key issue(s) A total of 141 findings were extracted and aggregated into 20 categories; 6 synthesized findings were identified. Conclusion This review indicates caregivers' experiences and perceptions regarding caring for older people during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of a qualitative systematic review show that caregivers' emotions, cognitions and knowledge have affected the quality of caregivers' senior care services during the pandemic. Caregivers caring for older adults should practise self-awareness, understanding their knowledge and attitudes to improve the quality of senior care. Moreover, health care administrators and policymakers should make concerted efforts to cultivate a better working environment. Implications for Nursing Management Managers should formulate timely and effective management strategies. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the workload of caregivers has increased, thus requiring better scheduling by managers. Furthermore, managers should consider the negative emotions of caregivers and prevent negative emotions from affecting their work. Besides, virtual technology should be applied to senior care and psychological support be provided for caregivers in this special care setting.