AI Insight
This structured narrative review of 70 publications examines psychological capital (PsyCap)—comprising self-efficacy, optimism, hope, and resilience—in cancer patients and their family caregivers. The evidence demonstrates that PsyCap and its components are associated with better psychological adjustment, coping abilities, self-management, and quality of life in both patients and caregivers. Intervention studies suggest that mindfulness-based programs, positive psychology approaches, exercise, and dyadic interventions may strengthen PsyCap resources, though most studies have not directly measured PsyCap as a primary outcome.
Why it matters
This framework identifies modifiable psychological resources that could be targeted through supportive oncology interventions to improve outcomes for both cancer patients and their caregivers. The findings suggest practical pathways for developing strength-based interventions that address the prolonged uncertainty, treatment burden, and caregiving demands associated with modern cancer care.
Understand the Science
BackgroundAs cancer care increasingly extends into outpatient, community and home settings, patients and family caregivers must manage prolonged uncertainty, treatment toxicity, financial strain and role disruption. Psychological capital (PsyCap), comprising self-efficacy, optimism, hope and resilience, offers a strengths-based framework for understanding adaptation in cancer care.ObjectiveTo synthesize and conceptually integrate the literature on PsyCap in adult cancer patients, family caregivers and patient–caregiver dyads, with particular attention to determinants, measurement approaches, associated outcomes and intervention strategies relevant to supportive oncology.MethodsA structured narrative review was conducted to synthesize the literature on psychological capital (PsyCap) among cancer patients and family caregivers. A structured database search was performed in PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, CINAHL and PsycINFO, supplemented by citation tracking. Publications addressing the conceptualization, determinants, measurement, outcomes and intervention strategies of PsyCap in cancer care were included. The findings were synthesized narratively using an evidence-mapping approach.ResultsSeventy publications were included in the synthesis. The evidence suggests that composite PsyCap, as well as its individual component resources (resilience, hope, optimism, and self-efficacy), are associated with psychological adjustment, coping, self-management, and quality of life among cancer patients, while similar associations have been reported among caregivers. PsyCap appears to be influenced by multiple clinical and contextual factors, including symptom burden, treatment demands, uncertainty, financial stress, and caregiving responsibilities. Direct measurement of PsyCap as a higher-order construct remains relatively uncommon, and caregiver-focused and dyadic assessments are limited. Intervention studies indicate that mindfulness-based programs, positive psychological interventions informed by the PERMA model (Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment), exercise and body–mind practices, and dyadic or family-based approaches may strengthen PsyCap-related resources and improve psychosocial outcomes. However, most interventions have not explicitly evaluated PsyCap as a primary outcome.ConclusionPsyCap provides a useful framework for understanding positive psychological adaptation in cancer care. Existing evidence suggests that PsyCap may represent a modifiable target for supportive oncology interventions and may operate at both individual and relational levels. Future research should prioritize oncology-specific measurement approaches, longitudinal investigations, caregiver and dyadic research, and rigorously designed intervention studies that directly assess PsyCap outcomes.