SynthesisBMC psychiatry2024
Depression, anxiety and associated factors among cancer patients in Africa; a systematic review and meta-analysis study.
Synthesis in BMC psychiatry, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Prescription and use of psychoactive medications among cancer patients and associated factors in lower and upper middle-income countries: systematic review.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026Pooled it
- Exercise interventions for depressive symptoms in adults with lung and digestive cancer: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Pooled it
- Mindfulness-based interventions and cognitive behavioral therapy for depression, anxiety, and stress in adults with chronic conditions: a stratified subgroup meta-analysis.Npj mental health research · 2026Article
- Depression and loss to follow-up among patients treated for premalignant cervical lesions at a tertiary hospital in Uganda: a cross-sectional study.BMC women's health · 2026Article
- "…it is not the sickness itself that kills. It is the emotional trauma": a qualitative study of the lived experience and systemic barriers of women with breast cancer in Nigeria.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026Article
- Analysis the incidence and related risk factors of depression in patients with esophageal cancer combined with bone metastasis.World journal of psychiatry · 2026Article
- Prevalence of depression and association with quality-of-life among oncology patients at Princess Marina Hospital, Botswana: A cross-sectional study.The South African journal of psychiatry : SAJP : the journal of the Society of Psychiatrists of South Africa · 2026Article
- Comorbidity Between Mood Disorders and Chronic Somatic Diseases, With a Focus on Cardiometabolic Disease, and Its Mechanistic Crosstalk.Depression and anxiety · 2026Review
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of digital interventions for mental health in cancer patients and survivors.NPJ digital medicine · 2025Article
- Proportion and Correlates of Psychiatric Morbidity Among Psychiatry-Assessed Oncology Inpatients.Diseases (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
11 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundDepression and anxiety are the most common types of mental disorders among cancer patients. Many research studies carried out in African countries indicate that anxiety and depression are highly prevalent, but the results vary across regions. Thus, this study aimed to estimate the pooled prevalence and associated factors of depression and anxiety among cancer patients in Africa.
methodsThe databases EMBASE, PubMed, African Journals Online, and Google Scholar were used to identify articles. This systematic review and meta-analysis included 32 (31 for depression and 25 for anxiety) original articles from 11 African countries. To detect publication bias, Egger regression tests and funnel plot analysis were employed. A sensitivity analysis and a subgroup analysis were carried out.
resultsThe pooled prevalence of depression and anxiety among cancer patients was found to be 53.21% (95% CI: 47.47-58.94) and 53.32% (95% CI: 46.85, 59.80) respectively. Across regions, the prevalence of depression among cancer patients was 60.03 (95% CI: 55.85-64.21), 53.59 (95% CI: 45.31-61.87), and 43.92 (95% CI: 36.17-51.67) in North, East, and West Africa, respectively. The pooled prevalence of anxiety among cancer patients was 64.85 (95% CI: 54.81-74.88) in North Africa, 49.53 (95% CI: 40.72-58.33) in East Africa, and 46.23 (95% CI: 38.98-53.48) in West Africa. Advanced stages of cancer (AOR = 3.8; 95% CI: 1.73, 8.42), less educated (AOR = 2.57; 95% CI: 1.28-5.14), and having no financial support (AOR = 2.03; 95% CI: 1.12, 3.67) were factors associated with depression. Advanced stages of cancer (AOR = 5.44; 95% CI: 1.95, 15.18) and no financial assistance (AOR = 2.88; 95% CI: 1.79, 4.63) were factors associated with anxiety.
conclusionDepression and anxiety among cancer patients are highly prevalent in Africa. Being at an advanced stage of cancer, low educational attainment, and not having financial support were all associated with depression symptoms; in addition, having advanced cancer and not having financial support were also associated with anxiety symptoms. Therefore, it is critical to screen cancer patients for anxiety and depression and provide them with appropriate interventions when these conditions arise.
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