A Systematic Review of Cystic Fibrosis in Children: Can Non-Medical Therapy Options Lead to a Better Mental Health Outcome?

Natalie A Gonzalez; Sana M Dayo; Umaima Fatima; Aaiyat Sheikh; Chaitanya S Puvvada; Faiza H Soomro; Hafsa A Osman; Merna Haridi; Safeera Khan

doi:10.7759/cureus.37218

A Systematic Review of Cystic Fibrosis in Children: Can Non-Medical Therapy Options Lead to a Better Mental Health Outcome?

Cureus. 2023 Apr 6;15(4):e37218. doi: 10.7759/cureus.37218. eCollection 2023 Apr.

Authors

Natalie A Gonzalez¹, Sana M Dayo^{2

3}, Umaima Fatima⁴, Aaiyat Sheikh^{4

5}, Chaitanya S Puvvada^{6

7}, Faiza H Soomro^{6

8}, Hafsa A Osman¹, Merna Haridi^{9

10}, Safeera Khan⁴

Affiliations

¹ Pediatrics, California Institute of Behavioral Neurosciences & Psychology, Fairfield, USA.
² Public Health Sciences, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro, PAK.
³ Obstetrics and Gynaecology, California Institute of Behavioral Neurosciences & Psychology, Fairfield, USA.
⁴ Internal Medicine, California Institute of Behavioral Neurosciences & Psychology, Fairfield, USA.
⁵ Internal Medicine, Era's Lucknow Medical College and Hospital, Lucknow, IND.
⁶ General Surgery, California Institute of Behavioral Neurosciences & Psychology, Fairfield, USA.
⁷ General Surgery, Gayatri Vidya Parishad Institute of Health Care and Medical Technology, Visakhapatnam, IND.
⁸ General Surgery, Ninewells Hospital, NHS Tayside, Dundee, GBR.
⁹ Medical Education, Saint Martinus University, Willemstad, CUW.
¹⁰ Research, California Institute of Behavioral Neurosciences & Psychology, Fairfield, USA.

Abstract

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a chronic disorder that begins at an early age, so it is crucial to be aware of the physical and emotional burden placed on individuals suffering from it and their families. It significantly impacts an individual's life; therefore, it is essential to acknowledge the effects of the disease on physical and mental health. Our systematic review aims to highlight the areas of life affected by cystic fibrosis and evaluate various non-medical treatment options that may support the mental health of CF patients. We selected PubMed, Google Scholar, and MEDLINE (Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online) as our databases. We initially found 146,095 articles and narrowed the number of articles down using filters, exclusion and inclusion criteria, and various combinations of Medical Subheadings (MeSH) and key terms. We decided to use a final count of nine articles for our systematic review. The studies we included highlighted the negative impact of cystic fibrosis on mental health, like depression and anxiety, as well as on sleep, physical health, and overall quality of life. Several non-medical interventions, such as logotherapy, psychological interventions, complementary and alternative medicine, and many more, have been shown to enhance the mental health of many participants. Studies suggested that such therapy options may greatly benefit individuals with cystic fibrosis and their current treatment plan. This review indicates that non-medical therapy options can enhance the mental health of individuals suffering from cystic fibrosis and that it is crucial to bring more attention to preventing and treating mental health issues in cystic fibrosis patients. However, as current data is limited, more research with a larger number of participants over an extended period of time is necessary to better evaluate the efficacy of non-medical interventions on mental health.

Keywords: alternative treatments; complementary therapies; cystic fibrosis; depression; mental health; pediatric disease.

Publication types

Review