Non-pharmacological interventions for informal cancer caregivers: a JBI scoping review and gap analysis

With the rising global prevalence of cancer and the extensive demands of patient care, informal caregivers play an increasingly critical role. The substantial burden associated with caregiving can compromise their resilience and overall health. This review aimed to map the types of non-pharmacological interventions implemented for informal cancer caregivers and to identify understudied health domains.

This review followed the JBI scoping review framework and adhered to the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Interventional studies involving informal caregivers of cancer patients were identified through searches of PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus from January 1, 2015, to January 1, 2024. Data were extracted and synthesized descriptively, with critical appraisal conducted using the CONSORT 2025 checklist.

Thirty-five studies were included. Most interventions targeted caregivers of patients undergoing active treatment. Between 2015 and 2017, interventions were predominantly psycho-educational; from 2018 to 2020, they shifted toward combined physical-psychological approaches; and from 2020 to 2024, online delivery formats became predominant. Overall, there was a clear evolution from traditional, largely paper-based or booklet-facilitated educational programs to psychological and predominantly psycho-educational online and smartphone-based digital interventions.

Existing research has primarily focused on psycho-educational interventions, with quality of life, anxiety, and depression as the most frequently examined outcomes among informal cancer caregivers. However, several important domains-such as cultural and spiritual challenges, dyadic relationship quality, and insurance literacy-remain understudied. Future research should prioritize rigorous study designs with long-term follow-up, incorporate dyadic (patient-caregiver) and hybrid (in-person/online) interventions, and address emerging variables including resilience, digital health literacy, and decision-making burden.