Abstract

People with lung cancer are at a high risk of developing anxiety and depression during cancer treatments. Previous research has shown physical activity to be effective in improving psychological symptoms in people with cancer, however, the majority of studies have focused on female breast cancer survivors. The purpose of this literature review was to determine if physical activity interventions can effectively and feasibly reduce anxiety and depression in people with lung cancer who are undergoing treatment. A database search was conducted in CINAHL Plus, MEDLINE, APA PsycInfo, and SPORTDiscus. The search resulted in 265 articles and 9 were selected for inclusion in this review. Four studies showed significant improvements in anxiety and depression, six studies showed significant improvements in only anxiety, and the remaining studies showed no effect. The studies that improved both anxiety and depression used multimodal physical activity programs that included the use of supplemental psychological and health promoting interventions. Limitations included high drop-out rates, small sample sizes, and using different physical activity programs in a portion of the studies. Multimodal physical activity programs are safe and feasible and should be recommended to reduce anxiety and depressions in people with lung cancer undergoing treatment.

Thesis Completion

2021

Semester

Spring

Thesis Chair/Advisor

Victoria Loerzel

Co-Chair

Jean Davis

Degree

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.)

College

College of Nursing

Department

Nursing Practice

Language

English

Access Status

Open Access

Release Date

5-1-2021

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