META-ANALYSIS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL INTERVENTIONS IMPACTING EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN ATHLETES WITH NASOPHARYNGEAL CARCINOMA

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of psychological interventions on emotional well-being and quality of life in athletes diagnosed with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Methods: We conducted a systematic search and screening of international and domestic databases, including Medline, Embase, PubMed, CNKI.com, and Wanfang, for studies published from 2012 to present. These studies examined the impact of psychological interventions on negative emotions and quality of life among nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients. We assessed the quality of the included literature and performed a meta-analysis using RevMan5 statistical software. Results: Nine studies met the inclusion criteria, encompassing 1,230 participants—621 in the intervention group and 609 in the control group. The analysis revealed some heterogeneity in post-intervention Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) scores (P < 0.05), but no significant heterogeneity in Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD), and EORTC QLQ-C30 quality of life scores (P > 0.05). Meta-analysis results indicated significant improvements in the intervention group: SAS (WMD = -7.29, 95%CI: -8.36 to -6.21), SDS (WMD = -6.66, 95%CI: -7.72 to -5.61), HAMA (WMD = -1.63, 95%CI: -1.90 to -1.35), and HAMD (WMD = -1.97, 95%CI: -2.57 to -1.36) scores decreased significantly, while the EORTC QLQ-C30 score significantly increased (WMD = 6.66, 95%CI: 4.98 to 8.34) (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Psychological interventions are effective in alleviating negative emotions and enhancing quality of life in athletes with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. These findings suggest that integrating psychological support into the treatment regimens of athlete patients can be crucial for managing the emotional and psychological challenges associated with cancer diagnosis and treatment.