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Global prevalence and determinant factors of pain, depression, and anxiety among cancer patients: an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses

A. Getie, Manay Ayalneh, M. Bimerew

BMC Psychiatry, 2025

117 citations

Abstract

Depression and anxiety are prevalent psychological disorders that significantly affect physical, emotional, and social well-being, reducing quality of life and increasing medical costs. These issues are especially challenging for cancer survivors, complicating treatment management, affecting adherence, and potentially impacting survival rates. Thus, this umbrella review aimed to evaluate the global prevalence of pain, depression, and anxiety, as well as their determinants among cancer patients. An exhaustive umbrella review was conducted to systematically assess the prevalence and determinants of pain, depression, and anxiety among cancer survivors worldwide by analyzing systematic reviews and meta-analyses. The review involved a thorough search of multiple databases and included studies published in English up to July 2024 that reported on these symptoms. The process involved screening and selecting studies based on specific criteria, assessing the risk of bias using the AMSTAR tool, and analyzing data with statistical methods to determine overall prevalence and identify predictors. This comprehensive approach aimed to provide a detailed understanding of these psychological issues in cancer survivors and guide future research and interventions. The global summary prevalence of depression among cancer survivors was 33.16% (95% CI 27.59–38.74), while anxiety had a prevalence of 30.55% (95% CI 24.04–37.06). Pain prevalence after treatment was 39.77% (95% CI 31.84–47.70).…

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