Psychological Resources in Adults with Cancer: A Systematic Review of Quantitative Studies.

BACKGROUND/

OBJECTIVES

Patients facing cancer's challenges develop various coping strategies. This systematic review identifies the psychological resources that influence their mental health and quality of life.

METHODS

Following PRISMA guidelines, we searched Medline, PsycINFO, PubMed, Science Direct, Springerlink, and Wiley for empirical studies published between 2010 and 2025 for articles containing the term "cancer" and one or more terms relating to psychological resources. Including studies focused on peer-reviewed articles evaluating at least one psychological resource and one mental health outcome in adult cancer patients. A total of 95 studies (N = 21,683) were included after a formal screening process.

RESULTS

Risk of Bias in Non-randomized Studies-of Exposures (ROBINS-E) assessments of the risk of bias showed the overall quality of the included studies, with 89% of studies having a low or moderate risk of bias. The review identified 16 psychological resources. We described each resource's impact based on the strength of current empirical evidence. Optimism, resilience, hope, and self-compassion emerged as the most prominent predictors of reduced psychological distress. By analyzing study designs, these resources were organized into a functional hierarchy reflecting their specific roles within the coping process.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on this categorization, we propose a conceptual model illustrating the interplay between these resources. This framework suggests a theoretical basis for future empirical validation and provides directions for designing targeted psychological interventions.