Adult cancer survivors’ mental health needs and experiences in primary care: a scoping review
5 affiliations
- 1Discipline of General Practice, School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- 2Discipline of Paediatrics & Child Health, School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- 3School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- 4New South Wales Department of Health, St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia
- 5Caring Futures Institute, College of Health and Enablement, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Abstract
Objective: To examine current evidence on adult cancer survivors’ mental health experiences, defined as the emotional, psychological and psychosocial dimensions of survivorship, including fear of recurrence, anxiety, distress and related support needs, in primary care, and how primary care clinicians and systems support, or fail to support, these needs.
Design: Scoping review following Arksey and O’Malley’s framework and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidance.
Eligibility criteria: Studies examining the mental health experiences of adult cancer survivors in primary care or community settings, defined as care delivered in general practice, family medicine or shared arrangements between oncology and primary care. Eligible designs included qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods empirical research; reviews and opinion pieces were also eligible but charted separately as contextual literature.
Information sources: PubMed, Embase, CINAHL and PsycINFO were searched from inception to February 2026.
Results: 21 studies (2004–2025) were included: 17 primary empirical studies (approximately 460 survivors and 230 providers) and 4 contextual/synthesis sources. Most empirical studies were qualitative (n=13), set in primary or shared-care contexts across several countries. Survivors described persistent emotional uncertainty, including fear of cancer recurrence and anxiety, often intensified during transitions from oncology to primary care. Barriers to accessing psychosocial support in primary care included fragmented communication, navigation burden, limited consultation time and constrained access to psychological services; facilitators of such support included continuity of care, proactive communication and clear follow-up planning. General practice was variably experienced as a site of relational continuity and emotional support, though inconsistently realised due to time and training constraints. Equity-related gaps were evident in cultural safety (care that is respectful of and responsive to patients’ cultural needs and communication preferences), family/carer involvement and access for marginalised, rural and socioeconomically disadvantaged populations.
Conclusions: Adult cancer survivors experience substantial, ongoing mental health needs across survivorship, with primary care a critical but inconsistently supported setting for psychosocial care. Strengthening communication, coordination and equity-oriented approaches in primary care may improve mental health outcomes for people living with and beyond cancer.
Trial registration: This review was not prospectively registered to a structured protocol; an a priori project record is available at https://osf.io/vxfwm/overview.
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BibTeX
@article{tran2026adult,
title = {{Adult cancer survivors’ mental health needs and experiences in primary care: a scoping review}},
author = {Michael Tran and Christina Signorelli and Isabella Natale and Carolyn Ee},
journal = {Family Medicine and Community Health},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.1136/fmch-2026-004270},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1136/fmch-2026-004270},
note = {CC BY-NC 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Adult cancer survivors’ mental health needs and experiences in primary care: a scoping review
AU - Michael Tran
AU - Christina Signorelli
AU - Isabella Natale
AU - Carolyn Ee
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/02
JO - Family Medicine and Community Health
DO - 10.1136/fmch-2026-004270
UR - https://doi.org/10.1136/fmch-2026-004270
AB - Objective: To examine current evidence on adult cancer survivors’ mental health experiences, defined as the emotional, psychological and psychosocial dimensions of survivorship, including fear of recurrence, anxiety, distress and related support needs, in primary care, and how primary care clinicians and systems support, or fail to support, these needs. Design: Scoping review following Arksey and O’Malley’s framework and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidance. Eligibility criteria: Studies examining the mental health experiences of adult cancer survivors in primary care or community settings, defined as care delivered in general practice, family medicine or shared arrangements between oncology and primary care. Eligible designs included qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods empirical research; reviews and opinion pieces were also eligible but charted separately as contextual literature. Information sources: PubMed, Embase, CINAHL and PsycINFO were searched from inception to February 2026. Results: 21 studies (2004–2025) were included: 17 primary empirical studies (approximately 460 survivors and 230 providers) and 4 contextual/synthesis sources. Most empirical studies were qualitative (n=13), set in primary or shared-care contexts across several countries. Survivors described persistent emotional uncertainty, including fear of cancer recurrence and anxiety, often intensified during transitions from oncology to primary care. Barriers to accessing psychosocial support in primary care included fragmented communication, navigation burden, limited consultation time and constrained access to psychological services; facilitators of such support included continuity of care, proactive communication and clear follow-up planning. General practice was variably experienced as a site of relational continuity and emotional support, though inconsistently realised due to time and training constraints. Equity-related gaps were evident in cultural safety (care that is respectful of and responsive to patients’ cultural needs and communication preferences), family/carer involvement and access for marginalised, rural and socioeconomically disadvantaged populations. Conclusions: Adult cancer survivors experience substantial, ongoing mental health needs across survivorship, with primary care a critical but inconsistently supported setting for psychosocial care. Strengthening communication, coordination and equity-oriented approaches in primary care may improve mental health outcomes for people living with and beyond cancer. Trial registration: This review was not prospectively registered to a structured protocol; an a priori project record is available at https://osf.io/vxfwm/overview.
SN - 2305-6983
SN - 2009-8774
ER -