What Are the Psychosocial Needs of Adolescents and Young Adults with Cancer? A Systematic Review of the Literature.

Adolescents and young adults with cancer (AYACs) have become recognized as a unique group in recent years. The unique developmental context and related challenges of being a young person with a cancer diagnosis can lead to a distinct and diverse set of psychosocial issues. Existing research has attempted to explore these psychosocial needs and challenges and to develop appropriate and individualized interventions. However, the needs of this group remain unmet, with ongoing calls for individualized support. This systematic review addressed the research question, "what are the psychosocial needs of AYACs aged 15-24 years?." PubMed, PsycINFO, and CINAHL databases were searched to identify relevant studies from January 2000 to December 2022 (inclusive). Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods designs were included and 29 studies met inclusion criteria. Findings provide an overview of needs from the existing literature and support the idea of a changing constellation of psychosocial needs for AYACs in areas such as identity, relationships, mental health, autonomy, and occupation. The main implications for theory and future research include the importance of the developmental context and consideration of discrepancies in the age range used within the literature to define this group.