Depression and Anxiety Among Patients with Cancer During COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Abstract

Background Investigations about the impact and consequences of the COVID-19 infection on the mental health of patients with chronic diseases and those with immunosuppressive conditions are growing. The current study aimed to systematically review and meta-analysis of studies that evaluated the level of depression and anxiety in cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods The PubMed, Scopus and Web of Sciences databases were searched to retrieve potential studies from January 2020 to 3 January 2021. Summary data on frequency and mean of depression and anxiety were extracted. Random-effect meta-analysis was conducted to estimate overall prevalence, mean and standardized mean difference.

Results Thirty-four studies were included in the systematic review, of them 21 studies included in meta-analysis. Overall depression and anxiety were 0.37 (0.27, 0.47); I 2 = 99.05%, P value 2 = 99.08%, P value

Conclusion Overall, the findings of this study suggest that the prevalence of depression and anxiety among patients with cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic can reach considerable levels, although observed substantial heterogeneity should be considered when interpreting the results.