Mandala painting therapy applied to cancer patient: a scoping review

Psychological care has been shown to effectively enhance the quality of life for cancer patients and reduce negative emotions such as anxiety and depression. Recently, mandala drawing therapy has emerged as a novel approach to assist cancer patients in managing their psychological challenges. Nevertheless, the application of this therapy lacks scientific guidelines, and inconsistencies persist across related studies. Therefore, this study aims to synthesize and scrutinize the existing research on the utilization of mandala drawing therapy for cancer patients, striving to establish a scientific framework for its widespread clinical implementation in the future and serving as a valuable resource for further research.

A scoping review was conducted to delve deeper into the existing evidence and identify knowledge gaps relevant to future research efforts. Utilizing the Joanna Briggs Institute's methodology for systematic reviews, we conducted searches in PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, Embase, Wanfang, CNKI, VIP Information Services Platform, and China Biomedical Literature Service System, covering the entire duration from the establishment of each database up to December 2023.

The search strategy yielded 335 studies, of which 11 met the study criteria after screening. The findings indicated that mandala painting therapy effectively improved the quality of life and satisfaction with care among cancer patients while alleviating negative emotions. However, the treatment did not significantly affect pain levels and the fear of recurrence in these patients.

Mandala painting therapy primarily functions as a psychotherapeutic and psychological assessment tool. Although it has shown positive effects on cancer patients, further exploration is needed regarding its implementation methods. Future research should consider expanding the sample size and making more substantial efforts to investigate the therapy's effects in depth.

OSF registration DOI: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/EZNMX.