Individual Meaning-Centered Psychotherapy in Indian Cancer Care: A Narrative Review on Pain Management During Chemotherapy

Abstract

Cancer is associated with substantial physical and psychological morbidity, particularly among patients undergoing chemotherapy. Although advances in cancer treatment have improved survival rates, chemotherapy-related pain, fatigue, emotional distress, anxiety, depression, and existential suffering continue to negatively affect quality of life. Contemporary psycho-oncology literature recognizes that cancer pain is multidimensional and influenced not only by biological factors but also by emotional, social, and existential distress. In India, limited psycho-oncology services, inadequate palliative care access, delayed diagnosis, financial burden, and stigma associated with mental healthcare often intensify patient suffering. Individual Meaning-Centered Psychotherapy (IMCP), developed by William Breitbart and grounded in Viktor Frankl’s logotherapy, is an evidence-based existential intervention designed to help patients sustain meaning, dignity, hope, and psychological resilience despite life-threatening illness. Research indicates that meaning-centered interventions may reduce hopelessness, existential distress, depression, and desire for hastened death while improving spiritual well-being and quality of life among cancer patients. This narrative review examines the role of IMCP in the management of chemotherapy-related pain and psychological distress among Indian cancer patients. The review further discusses the relevance of existential approaches within the Indian sociocultural context, including spirituality, family systems, meaning-making, and acceptance of suffering. The paper highlights the need for integrating culturally sensitive psycho-oncology interventions within Indian oncology and palliative care services.