Systematic review of therapeutic interventions for psychological adjustment to physical health diagnoses in adults

Receiving a diagnosis of a physical health condition can present significant psychological challenges. Despite this, structured post-diagnostic support aimed at fostering psychological adjustment remains limited in many clinical settings. This systematic review aimed to identify and synthesise evidence on interventions designed specifically to promote psychological adjustment following such diagnoses, with a focus on evaluating their effectiveness and feasibility. A systematic review of MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Scopus and CINAHL from inception until May 2024. Studies were assessed for quality using the CASP and MMAT, and the impact of the intervention on outcomes of psychological adjustment, emotional adjustment, coping or similar were extracted. This review was PROSPERO registered (CRD42023452369). Forty-five articles were evaluated (<i>n</i> = 4,848). Most reported interventions in cancer (28/45), but other populations were represented including neurodegenerative disease, and neurological brain trauma. Interventions were heterogenous, but Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) or a Cognitive based psychotherapy were most common (<i>n</i> = 20) and improved psychological adaptation across clinical groups. Examples of other interventions included general psychotherapy (<i>n</i> = 3), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT; <i>n</i> = 2), and stress management (<i>n</i> = 3). Interventions that incorporated mindfulness were largely successful and were highly acceptable to participants. Multiple evidence-based interventions were identified that promote psychological adjustment. Further research is needed to explore the sustainability, scalability, and economic impact of these interventions across clinical settings.