Examining the Risk and Psychosocial Intervention for Suicidal Behavior and Death Among People With Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis

ABSTRACT Background Suicide among people with cancer is on the rise. However, the absence of integrated evidence limits evidence‐informed clinical decision‐making, service planning, and the prioritization of future research in oncology and survivorship care. Objective This meta‐analysis aimed to synthesize cumulative evidence of: (1) the risk of suicidal behavior and death by examining the demographic and clinical factors and (2) the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions in alleviating the severity of suicidal behavior among people with cancer. Methods An intensive electronic literature search was performed using major databases, such as PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, and PsycINFO, from database inception to the most recent update prior to analysis (December 2025). Results A total of 39 studies were selected for assessment of risk of suicidal behavior and death, and 9 studies (randomized controlled trials) for assessment of the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions for the management of suicidal behavior among people with cancer. The combined effect of risk factors for suicidal behavior was weak but statistically significant, while the combined effect of risk factors for suicidal death was not statistically significant. As for the assessment of psychosocial interventions, the cumulative effect size indicated that the intervention groups did not show significant changes in the degree of suicidal behavior compared with the control groups. Conclusion Future studies on psychosocial interventions may target on managing depression and suicidal behavior, while non‐modifiable risk factors for suicidal behavior and death may be the focus of preventive measures and stratification to improve the methodology of future studies.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Psycho-Oncology
Published
2026-05-28
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.70503
Primary Topic
Cancer survivorship and care
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Examining the Risk and Psychosocial Intervention for Suicidal Behavior and Death Among People With Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis

Qingqin Zhang, Li Zhang, Qiyue Qiu, Y. Ji et al.
Psycho-Oncology
Cancer survivorship and care
article

Examining the Risk and Psychosocial Intervention for Suicidal Behavior and Death Among People With Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis

Qingqin Zhang, Li Zhang, Qiyue Qiu, Y. Ji, Sen Wu, Haolong Zhang, Zheng Zhang, Ping Lu, Mohammad Farris Iman Leong Bin Abdullah
article en

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background Suicide among people with cancer is on the rise. However, the absence of integrated evidence limits evidence‐informed clinical decision‐making, service planning, and the prioritization of future research in oncology and survivorship care. Objective This meta‐analysis aimed to synthesize cumulative evidence of: (1) the risk of suicidal behavior and death by examining the demographic and clinical factors and (2) the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions in alleviating the severity of suicidal behavior among people with cancer. Methods An intensive electronic literature search was performed using major databases, such as PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, and PsycINFO, from database inception to the most recent update prior to analysis (December 2025). Results A total of 39 studies were selected for assessment of risk of suicidal behavior and death, and 9 studies (randomized controlled trials) for assessment of the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions for the management of suicidal behavior among people with cancer. The combined effect of risk factors for suicidal behavior was weak but statistically significant, while the combined effect of risk factors for suicidal death was not statistically significant. As for the assessment of psychosocial interventions, the cumulative effect size indicated that the intervention groups did not show significant changes in the degree of suicidal behavior compared with the control groups. Conclusion Future studies on psychosocial interventions may target on managing depression and suicidal behavior, while non‐modifiable risk factors for suicidal behavior and death may be the focus of preventive measures and stratification to improve the methodology of future studies.

Psycho-OncologyVol. 35(6)
Universiti Sains Malaysia (MY), First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University (CN), Sultan Zainal Abidin University (MY), Henan Medical University (CN)
Openalex Percentile: Top 6%
Cancer survivorship and care
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.