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

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 < 0.001 and 0.38 (0.31, 0.46); I-2 = 99.08%, P value < 0.001, respectively. Compared to controls, cancer patients had higher anxiety level [standard mean difference (SMD 0.25 (95% CI 0.08, 0.42)]. 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.

Automated summary

The study found that during the COVID-19 pandemic, cancer patients experienced higher levels of depression and anxiety, with considerable prevalence rates, but the results showed significant heterogeneity.