The Psychosocial Impact and Value of Participating in a Storytelling Intervention for Patients Diagnosed with Cancer: An Integrative Review

Abstract

Background: Interventions have recently been developed to test the therapeutic value of storytelling for people with cancer. This evidence includes different designs, as a result an integrative review is needed that can determine the impact and value of storytelling interventions for people with cancer. Aims: To undertake an integrative review of evidence identifying the impact and outcomes from storytelling interventions for people with cancer. Methods: An integrative review of group based storytelling interventions using a qualitative led-synthesis. Results: Eleven studies were identified with a total of 493 (49 female, 16 male, 428 not disclosed) people included. Two major themes were identified: 1) content of interaction and 2) outcomes from the interventions. Six sub-themes were identified. The results provided a unique insight into the psycho-emotional impact of storytelling interventions. Conclusions: It is essential that health care professionals understand the core benefits of storytelling for people with cancer. Further interventions are needed to identify an approach which could be applied within clinical settings.