JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Digital psychological interventions have emerged as a promising strategy to address the growing psychosocial needs of cancer survivors. However, the specific contribution of interventions delivered with active involvement of trained mental health professionals remains insufficiently understood, particularly across different phases of cancer survivorship.

Objective:

This systematic review evaluates the effectiveness of professionally guided digital psychological interventions in improving psychological and symptom-related outcomes among adult cancer survivors across different phases of survivorship.

Methods:

Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, and Ovid MEDLINE was conducted to identify studies published between 2013 and 2025. Eligible studies included adult cancer survivors receiving professionally guided digital psychological interventions delivered through web-based platforms or videoconferencing by trained mental health professionals. Data were extracted and synthesized narratively, and methodological quality was assessed using established risk-of-bias criteria.

Results:

32 studies met the inclusion criteria, the majority of which were randomized controlled trials, with sample sizes ranging from 9 to 269 participants. Interventions included cognitive-behavioural, mindfulness-based, and supportive approaches delivered via videoconferencing or web-based platforms, with active involvement of trained mental health professionals. Most interventions were delivered synchronously (78%) and focused on acute (31%) and extended (62.5%) survivorship phases. Across studies, guided digital interventions were consistently associated with reductions in psychological distress, anxiety, and depression, as well as improvements in fear of cancer recurrence. Significant reductions were also observed in symptom burden, including fatigue, pain, and sleep disturbances; for example, one randomized trial reported a greater decrease in fatigue severity in the intervention group compared to controls (between-group difference = 0.48; p = 0.04). Improvements extended to quality of life and key psychological processes such as mindfulness, coping, and self-compassion. Overall methodological quality was fair to good.

Conclusions:

These findings suggest that professionally guided digital psychological interventions provide clinically meaningful benefits for cancer survivors, with their effectiveness likely linked to the preservation of structured therapeutic processes and active professional involvement, supporting their integration into stepped or blended models of survivorship care.