Effectiveness of Psychological Interventions in Improving Relationship Functioning Among Couples Coping With Prostate Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Objective: There is an increasing amount of literature acknowledging the significance of addressing the psychosocial impact of prostate cancer (PCa) on couples' relationship functioning and well-being. However, research on developing and evaluating psychological interventions for individuals and couples coping with PCa remains limited. This systematic review aimed to critically evaluate and synthesise the effectiveness of psychological interventions in improving the relationship functioning of couples affected by PCa and to identify the moderating role of several methodological characteristics of intervention studies.

Methods: Five databases MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Embase, Global Health, and Cochrane Library were searched up to September 2024. Twenty-three studies with randomised trials and a total sample size of 3333 participants were included. Random effects meta-analyses for relationship functioning, sensitivity analysis for outliers, and publication bias analysis were conducted.

Results: The results showed that psychological interventions had a non-significant trivial effect (g = 0.06, p = 0.328) on improving relationship functioning among couples coping with PCa. Subgroup analyses identified two potential moderators: firstly, the intervention format (conjoint vs. individual; p = 0.005), and secondly, the intervention frequency (session number < 6 vs. session number ≥ 6; p = 0.004).

Conclusions: The findings suggest that more high-quality intervention studies are needed to improve the relationship functioning of those affected by PCa, with screening processes to select more representative samples at entry. The implications for clinical practice highlight the need to tailor interventions to the specific needs of couples coping with PCa.