Positive Psychology Interventions in Patients With Prostate Cancer: A Systematic Review

Background: Prostate cancer is the most common malignancy in men and may often result in psychiatric symptoms due to the direct disease effects, hormonal treatments, functional losses, and psychological responses of patients to the cancer. Positive psychology interventions have shown promise in alleviating psychological symptoms in patients with chronic diseases but are infrequently studied in patients with prostate cancer. Our systematic review aimed to examine the benefits of positive psychology interventions for patients with prostate cancer. We searched PubMed/Medline, Embase, and PsycInfo databases yielding 1078 initial studies, 10 of which met inclusion criteria. Most studies showed a positive effect on outcomes including psychological distress, mood disorders, anxiety, quality of life, happiness, and life satisfaction.