Are Art-Based Interventions Effective in Improving Psychological Well-Being Among Informal Caregivers of Cancer Patients? A Systematic Review

Objectives: To systematically synthesize the current evidence on the effects of art-based interventions on improving anxiety, depression, stress, sleep, and well-being of cancer caregivers.Design: A systematic review.Methods: We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases from their inception up to April 2024. Studies exploring the effects of art-based interventions on the psychological symptoms of cancer caregivers were included. We did not restrict the publication to the particular study designs, including randomized controlled trials, quasiexperimental studies, and qualitative studies.Results: Fifteen studies of 607 participants were identified in this systematic review. Overall, the existing studies provided preliminary evidence to suggest that art-based interventions may benefit cancer caregivers in improving anxiety, depression, stress, caregiver burden, and quality of life. However, the relatively low quality of the current evidence limits the efficacy of these findings.Conclusions: According to the existing evidence, the therapeutic benefits of using art-based interventions for improving the psychological well-being of cancer caregivers are uncertain. More high-quality and well-designed studies are still required to confirm the psychological effectiveness of art-based interventions for cancer caregivers in the future.