Psychological preparation in multimodal cancer prehabilitation: a systematic review and meta-synthesis of patients’ experiences
Abstract
Introduction: Prehabilitation aims to optimise psychological status, but psychological provision largely addresses existing distress and what preparation for treatment consists of is unclear as prehabilitation services scale up. We asked how patients experience it, what enables or undermines it, and how their circumstances shape what they can use.
Methods: We searched CINAHL, MEDLINE and PsycINFO from inception, last searched 22 May 2026, for peer-reviewed English-language qualitative studies of adults’ experiences of multimodal cancer prehabilitation. Eligible programmes combined at least two of exercise, nutrition and psychological support, and either targeted psychological outcomes or included an element with a stated psychological function; measurement alone did not qualify. Two reviewers appraised reports using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklist plus four domains covering staff training, fidelity, adherence and participants’ words. We synthesised findings by meta-ethnography. No external funding. Registered with PROSPERO (CRD42023434123).
Results: Seventeen reports (2021-2026), predominantly surgical and from six high-income countries, drew on 14 independent samples and 230 patients. Across three constructs and 12 subthemes, patients experienced psychological preparation as having something to act on, discovering what their bodies could do, understanding and managing what was coming, being taken seriously and kept going, and not being alone. These functions arose through exercise, dietary support and relationships with staff and peers, not only explicitly psychological input. Prehabilitation added to preparations already under way. Relevance, timing, burden and continuity after surgery enabled or undermined preparation, depending on patients’ beliefs, capacity, demands and support networks.
Discussion: Evidence came almost entirely from engagers, and staff training, adherence and fidelity were sparsely reported. Psychological preparation did not map onto a discrete component; it arose where what a programme offered matched what a patient could use. Services should build psychological function into how prehabilitation is delivered, who delivers it, and how it is matched to patients.
Related
- Multimodal Ganzfeld-induced visual experiences are associated with alongside mental experiences and distinct EEG microstate dynamics
- Perspectives on prehabilitation for older adults with cancer: A report from the International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG) rehabilitation group
- Adverse experiences in childhood and adolescence in relation to sleep health in adulthood: An overview of systematic reviews and a global evidence map
- Family experiences of paediatric palliative care during hospital-at-home: a systematic review
- Joint action with human versus robot partners across psychological domains: a systematic review
BibTeX
@misc{baliousis2026psychological,
title = {{Psychological preparation in multimodal cancer prehabilitation: a systematic review and meta-synthesis of patients’ experiences}},
author = {Michael Baliousis and Aniqa Hussain and Zachary Underwood and Thomas Albert Schroder and Mike Rennoldson and Chloe Grimmett and Hermioni L. Amonoo and Sandy Jack},
howpublished = {PsyArXiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.31234/osf.io/8pvfu_v2},
url = {https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/8pvfu_v2/},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Psychological preparation in multimodal cancer prehabilitation: a systematic review and meta-synthesis of patients’ experiences
AU - Michael Baliousis
AU - Aniqa Hussain
AU - Zachary Underwood
AU - Thomas Albert Schroder
AU - Mike Rennoldson
AU - Chloe Grimmett
AU - Hermioni L. Amonoo
AU - Sandy Jack
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/25
PB - PsyArXiv
DO - 10.31234/osf.io/8pvfu_v2
UR - https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/8pvfu_v2/
AB - Introduction: Prehabilitation aims to optimise psychological status, but psychological provision largely addresses existing distress and what preparation for treatment consists of is unclear as prehabilitation services scale up. We asked how patients experience it, what enables or undermines it, and how their circumstances shape what they can use. Methods: We searched CINAHL, MEDLINE and PsycINFO from inception, last searched 22 May 2026, for peer-reviewed English-language qualitative studies of adults’ experiences of multimodal cancer prehabilitation. Eligible programmes combined at least two of exercise, nutrition and psychological support, and either targeted psychological outcomes or included an element with a stated psychological function; measurement alone did not qualify. Two reviewers appraised reports using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklist plus four domains covering staff training, fidelity, adherence and participants’ words. We synthesised findings by meta-ethnography. No external funding. Registered with PROSPERO (CRD42023434123). Results: Seventeen reports (2021-2026), predominantly surgical and from six high-income countries, drew on 14 independent samples and 230 patients. Across three constructs and 12 subthemes, patients experienced psychological preparation as having something to act on, discovering what their bodies could do, understanding and managing what was coming, being taken seriously and kept going, and not being alone. These functions arose through exercise, dietary support and relationships with staff and peers, not only explicitly psychological input. Prehabilitation added to preparations already under way. Relevance, timing, burden and continuity after surgery enabled or undermined preparation, depending on patients’ beliefs, capacity, demands and support networks. Discussion: Evidence came almost entirely from engagers, and staff training, adherence and fidelity were sparsely reported. Psychological preparation did not map onto a discrete component; it arose where what a programme offered matched what a patient could use. Services should build psychological function into how prehabilitation is delivered, who delivers it, and how it is matched to patients.
ER -