PSYCHOLOGICAL interventions for parents in pediatric palliative care improved short term mental health outcomes.
Psychological Interventions Show Short Term Benefit
Psychological interventions for parents in pediatric palliative care may help reduce anxiety, depression, and overall psychological distress, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Across 36 included studies, interventions were associated with significant short-term improvements in anxiety, depression, psychological distress, and hope. The most commonly used approach was cognitive behavioral therapy, although interventions were heterogeneous and often multimodal.
The findings suggest that structured psychological support could play an important role in helping parents manage the emotional burden associated with caring for a child with a life limiting or life-threatening condition. However, the evidence base was narrower than the review question intended to capture.
Pediatric Palliative Care Evidence Remains Narrow
Although the review focused on parents of children eligible for pediatric palliative care, nearly all included evidence came from oncology. Only one study was conducted in a pediatric palliative care setting, and all studies involved parents of children with cancer. This highlights a significant gap in the literature for families facing non oncological life limiting conditions.
The pooled findings showed moderate-to-large short term effect sizes for anxiety and depression, alongside smaller but significant improvements in psychological distress. Hope also improved in the short term. Evidence for sustained benefit over time was more limited.
Long Term Outcomes Need Further Study
Among long term outcomes, improvement was observed only for post-traumatic stress symptoms. The authors noted that this may reflect the limited follow up data available rather than a true absence of longer lasting benefit for other psychological outcomes.
Overall, the review supports psychological interventions as a potentially valuable component of care for parents in pediatric palliative care, particularly when cognitive behavioral approaches are used. At the same time, it underscores the need for higher quality trials in broader pediatric palliative care populations so clinicians can better understand which interventions work best, for whom, and over what timeframe.
Reference
Álvarez-Pérez Y et al. Effectiveness of psychological interventions for parents of children eligible for paediatric palliative care: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Psychol. 2026;17:1775937.
Featured image: Jack Tamrong on Adobe Stock