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Aims To review the characteristics and effectiveness of psychosocial interventions on quality of life of adult people with cancer and their family caregivers. Design A systematic review using PRISMA guidelines. Methods Seven databases were searched from 2009–2019 using key terms. Included studies were assessed using the Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies. Results 1909 studies were retrieved with 12 studies included, involving 3,390 patients/caregivers. Interventions aimed to improve communication, behaviour change and setting short‐term goals. Duration of interventions varied from 4–17 weeks. Highest benefit was gained from telephone interventions. Interventions based on interpersonal counselling appeared more effective than other approaches. Studies predominantly focused on psychological, physical and social domains of quality of life. Spiritual well‐being received relatively little attention. A paradigm shift is needed to develop psychosocial interventions that incorporate spiritual well‐being. More research is needed in developing countries.

This study examined the association of needs, health literacy, and quality of life among adult Nigerians with cancer and family caregivers. A descriptive study was conducted involving 240 adults with cancer and family caregivers attending a tertiary hospital. More than two‐thirds of participants reported moderate or high needs. Information (90.8%) and spiritual support (85%) were the domains of highest need among adults with cancer. Family/social support (85%) and spiritual support (81.7%) ranked the highest among family caregivers. A negative correlation was found between needs and quality of life. Stepwise regression analysis showed that needs and literacy explained 36% of the variance in adults with cancer's quality of life and 28% of the variance in family caregivers’ quality of life. Spiritual need accounted l for 9.5% and 9.1% of variation for adults with cancer and family caregivers, respectively. Findings suggest that interventions with a focus on social/family and spiritual needs may improve wellbeing of adults with cancer and caregivers in Nigeria. This research are generalizable to other low‐income countries where family values and spirituality are often a strong feature of daily life.