SynthesisPloS one2011
Depression screening and patient outcomes in cancer: a systematic review.
Synthesis in PloS one, 2011. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 25 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
25 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 80 citations in OpenAlex.
- Sample sizes and precision of estimates of sensitivity and specificity from primary studies on the diagnostic accuracy of depression screening tools: a survey of recently published studies.International journal of methods in psychiatric research · 2016Pooled it
- Psychosocial Follow-Up in Survivorship as a Standard of Care in Pediatric Oncology.Pediatric blood & cancer · 2015Pooled it
- Effects of screening for psychological distress on patient outcomes in cancer: a systematic review.Journal of psychosomatic research · 2013Pooled it
- Meta-analysis of efficacy of interventions for elevated depressive symptoms in adults diagnosed with cancer.Journal of the National Cancer Institute · 2012Pooled it
- Time Toxicity in Advanced Breast Cancer: Psychological Burden, Psychiatric Vulnerability, and Implications for Patient-Centered Decision-Making.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2026Review
- Understanding the basis of major depressive disorder in oncological patients: Biological links, clinical management, challenges, and lifestyle medicine.Frontiers in oncology · 2022Review
- Patient-provider discussion about emotional and social needs, mental health outcomes, and benefit finding among U.S. Adults living with cancer.Cancer medicine · 2021Article
- An Overview of the International Literature on Health-Related Quality of Life, Mental Health and Psychosocial Issues in People with Cancer.Clinical practice and epidemiology in mental health : CP & EMH · 2021Article
- Framework for planning the delivery of psychosocial oncology services: An American psychosocial oncology society task force report.Psycho-oncology · 2020Article
- Early childhood adversity in adult patients with metastatic lung cancer: Cross-sectional analysis of symptom burden and inflammation.Brain, behavior, and immunity · 2020Article
- Parallel Journeys of Patients with Cancer and Depression: Challenges and Opportunities for Technology-Enabled Collaborative Care.Proceedings of the ACM on human-computer interaction · 2020Article
- Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale in Oncology With Examination of Invariance Between Younger and Older Patients.European journal of psychological assessment : official organ of the European Association of Psychological Assessment · 2020Article
- Symptom screening for constipation in oncology: getting to the bottom of the matter.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2019Article
- Reasons for low uptake of a psychological intervention offered to cancer survivors with elevated depressive symptoms.Psycho-oncology · 2019Observational
- Concomitant psychiatric symptoms and impaired quality of life in women with cervical cancer: a critical review.International journal of women's health · 2017Review
- Article
- Depression screening in patients with brain tumors: a review.CNS oncology · 2015Review
- Article
- Individual counseling is the preferred treatment for depression in breast cancer survivors.Journal of psychosocial oncology · 2014Article
- Comorbidity of common mental disorders with cancer and their treatment gap: findings from the World Mental Health Surveys.Psycho-oncology · 2014Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
12 authors at 8 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundSeveral practice guidelines recommend screening for depression in cancer care, but no systematic reviews have examined whether there is evidence that depression screening benefits cancer patients. The objective was to evaluate the potential benefits of depression screening in cancer patients by assessing the (1) accuracy of depression screening tools; (2) effectiveness of depression treatment; and (3) effect of depression screening, either alone or in the context of comprehensive depression care, on depression outcomes.
methodsData sources were CINAHL, Cochrane, EMBASE, ISI, MEDLINE, PsycINFO and SCOPUS databases through January 24, 2011; manual journal searches; reference lists; citation tracking; trial registry reviews. Articles on cancer patients were included if they (1) compared a depression screening instrument to a valid criterion for major depressive disorder (MDD); (2) compared depression treatment with placebo or usual care in a randomized controlled trial (RCT); (3) assessed the effect of screening on depression outcomes in a RCT.
resultsThere were 19 studies of screening accuracy, 1 MDD treatment RCT, but no RCTs that investigated effects of screening on depression outcomes. Screening accuracy studies generally had small sample sizes (median = 17 depression cases) and used exploratory methods to set sample-specific cutoff scores that varied substantially across studies. A nurse-delivered intervention for MDD reduced depressive symptoms moderately (effect size = 0.37).
conclusionsThe one treatment study reviewed reported modest improvement in depressive symptoms, but no evidence was found on whether or not depression screening in cancer patients, either alone or in the context of optimal depression care, improves depression outcomes compared to usual care. Depression screening in cancer should be evaluated in a RCT in which all patients identified as depressed, either through screening or via physician recognition and referral in a control group, have access to comprehensive depression care.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.