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If the past year has taught us anything, it is that we need to be adaptable in our approach to research. In this article we detail the experiences and advice given by experts during the NIBPS 2021 postgraduate workshop. Speakers discussed how they creatively overcame challenges presented to them by the pandemic. We also use this opportunity to share our own experiences of organising a workshop and provide some tips we learned along the way, as well as information regarding PsyPAG workshop funding.

Background Oesophago-gastric cancer is an aggressive disease with a high rate of recurrence and mortality across the disease trajectory. Reduced psychosocial functioning has been evidenced amongst those with advanced disease, however little is known about the contributing factors. Determining these factors is an important clinical consideration to inform assessment and intervention. This review aimed to synthesize the available evidence on the psychosocial functioning of individuals with advanced oesophago-gastric cancer and their carers. Methods A JBI mixed-methods systematic review. Four bibliographic databases, MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, and CINAHL, were searched. Quantitative and qualitative studies were screened for inclusion and critically appraised for methodological quality. Both types of data were extracted using JBI tools for mixed-methods systematic reviews. A convergent segregated approach to synthesis and integration was used. The findings of the synthesis have been configured according to JBI methodology. Results A total of 12 studies were included in this review, including 6 quantitative studies and 6 qualitative studies. The quantitative results provide preliminary indication of several physical, biological, psychological and macro-level contextual factors associated with psychosocial functioning in this clinical population. The qualitative findings shed light on a range of physical, psychosocial, and existential challenges faced by advanced oesophago-gastric cancer patients. These multiple and often persistent challenges appear to cause considerable distress; however, patients describe the importance of maintaining a sense of normality and control over their illness and its effects. Patients value continuity and structure, however many report shortcomings when accessing care. No findings reporting the experiences from the perspective of carers were found, therefore all findings represent the perspective of the patient. Conclusions Further high-quality research is needed to understand how best to support and manage the palliative care needs of individuals living with advanced oesophago-gastric cancer. Implications for practice are discussed, suggesting that psychosocial interventions, complex symptom management and continuity of care could improve the psychosocial functioning of individuals in this setting. Pre-registration The systematic review was pre-registered at the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO; CRD42020181273) and the protocol can be viewed on the OSF (http://osf.io/exuzf)

Caregivers of children with chronic conditions face enormous challenges and often poor mental health, which can impact their child’s wellbeing. ACT may facilitate psychological adjustment for caregivers of children with long-term conditions. This mixed methods systematic review (MMSR) therefore aimed to examine the efficacy and acceptability of ACT-based interventions for caregivers of children with chronic conditions. PsychInfo, Ovid MEDLINE, and EMBASE were searched, returning 6877 potentially relevant citations. Following formal screening, the 19 studies which met all inclusion criteria were imported onto JBI SUMARI. The seven quantitative studies containing a control group were pooled with meta-analysis. For the 10 quantitative studies where statistical pooling was not possible, findings were presented in narrative form including tables to aid data presentation. The findings of the two qualitative studies were synthesised through the meta-aggregation approach. P-curve analysis was also conducted on five of the included studies in order to test for publication bias and p-hacking within the literature. Meta-analysis revealed significant effects of ACT on parental mood at post-intervention (SMD = -0.43, P = .001), follow-up (SMD = -0.65, P=0), and both time points combined (SMD = -0.52, P = 0). ACT also had significant effects on parenting confidence at both time-points combined (SMD = 0.34, P = 0.018), and on cognitive fusion at follow-up (SMD = -6.12, P = 0.016). Finally, significant effects of the intervention on psychological flexibility (PF) were revealed at post-intervention (SMD = -2.92, P = .007), follow-up (SMD = 5.19, P=0), and both time points combined (SMD = -3.89, P = 0). Narrative synthesis suggested positive impacts of ACT on mood, general wellbeing, and all ACT processes. Qualitative findings indicated that caregiver experiences of ACT were positive and that group-based delivery of ACT, along with mindfulness techniques, were particularly helpful. P-curve analysis revealed that both the half and full p-curve tests were right-skewed with p<.1, indicating that neither publication bias or p-hacking were present within the literature. ACT was therefore shown to be an effective and potentially acceptable intervention in improving the psychological health of caregivers, with evidence supporting psychological flexibility, cognitive fusion, and mindfulness as key treatment processes.