Analyzing the Psychological Effects of Relaxation Techniques on Parents of Children With Cancer

iStock.com/Stígur Már Karlsson /Heimsmyndir

According to results from a recent review of studies on psychological well-being among caregivers of children with cancer, “yoga and relaxation-based interventions should be considered as supportive strategies to help parents cope with the psychological demands of caregiving.”

A team of researchers from Turkey conducted the review and published their findings in Seminars in Oncology Nursing.

In addition to psychological well-being, the investigators explored the effectiveness of yoga and other relaxation techniques on coping capacity and quality of life among caregivers of children with cancer.

Furthermore, the investigators explained that among children with cancer, “despite remarkable improvements in survival rates over recent decades, the intensive and prolonged treatment process places a considerable psychological burden on parents, who are often regarded as the ‘hidden patients’ in pediatric oncology.”

To inform the research, data were extracted from seven electronic databases, including PubMed, Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, ScienceDirect, CINAHL Complete, EBSCOhost, and Scopus. The investigators performed a comprehensive literature search for “studies published between January 2010 and July 2025.” They identified depression, stress, anxiety, and quality of life as outcomes of interest.

A total of six studies were included in the analysis, “with sample sizes ranging from 15 to 60 participants.” The results showed that yoga and other relaxation-based techniques were interpreted favorably by participants across the analyzed studies, but the data “did not yield statistically significant effects across psychological outcomes.”

In addition, the findings demonstrated that no significant pooled effects were reported across the studies that examined trait anxiety, depression, stress, and quality of life. In reflecting on the findings, the researchers highlighted that “yoga and relaxation-based interventions may provide psychological benefits for parents of children with cancer, although the current evidence remains insufficient and inconsistent due to small sample sizes, methodological variability, and substantial heterogeneity.”

The investigators concluded that yoga and other relaxation-based techniques should be employed and considered as supportive oncology care strategies for parents of children with cancer, not only “to help parents cope with the psychological demands of caregiving,” but also because of “their feasibility, safety, and low cost.”