Pharmaceutical and therapeutic interventions for anxiety in terminal illness

Anxiety is a sensation where the human body reacts to a range of emotions in an adverse way, leading to symptoms of nervousness, anxiousness and excessive fear. Anxiety disorders arise in patients who are receiving end-of-life care for multiple reasons, including confronting mortality and having to accept a change in lifestyle. Therefore, a vital part of managing the symptoms of patients who are terminally ill is ensuring they receive the most appropriate intervention for these disorders, whether that be pharmaceutical or a non-pharmaceutical therapy. A rapid literature search was conducted between 20 February 2021 and 3 March 2021 through two main online databases (CINAHL Plus and PsycInfo). A total of 848 entries matched the search criteria and, after screening, seven papers were collated and used within this review. All pharmacological interventions were shown to reduce anxiety-related symptoms in patients receiving end-of-life care. Most non-pharmaceutical therapeutic interventions showed some effects, including significant reductions in symptoms when evaluated against the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale or individual disclosure of improvements in quality of life. While none of the studies in this review directly compared pharmacological with non-pharmacological therapeutic interventions, both can improve end-of-life care for terminally ill patients. When treating patients diagnosed with a terminal illness who are receiving palliative care, their prognosis, time frame and personal wishes are key aspects to consider when deciding on the most appropriate management strategy for anxiety disorders.