Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39777730›Full record

SynthesisAnaesthesia2025

Peri-operative mental health interventions for surgical oncology patients: a narrative synthesis and meta-analysis.

Joanna Abraham, Katherine J Holzer, Lavanya Pedamallu, Benjamin D Kozower, Michael S Avidan, Eric J Lenze

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisReview
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Anaesthesia, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Trial
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Joanna AbrahamDepartment of Anaesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-3576-5279
Katherine J HolzerDepartment of Anaesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA.
Lavanya PedamalluDepartment of Anaesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA.
Benjamin D KozowerDepartment of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA.
Michael S AvidanDepartment of Anaesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA.
Eric J LenzeDepartment of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA.

Funding

PHARMacist and Community Health Support to Optimize Medications After Trauma Surgery (PHARM-C)P50MH122351 · NIMH · WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · PI Eric J Lenze · 2021 to 2026
$10.8M
Foundation for Barnes-Jewish Hospital 6732NIMH NIH HHS P50 MH122351NIMH NIH HHS P50MH122351
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionOncologic surgeries are common and rates of depression and anxiety are high in the peri-operative period, potentially interfering with successful recovery.

methodsWe conducted a narrative review and meta-analysis focusing on randomised controlled trials evaluating the effect of peri-operative mental health interventions on anxiety and/or depression in adult patients having oncological surgery. The review included studies published in the last 5 years, identified through EMBASE with no pre-specified criteria for the type of comparison or outcome. A meta-analysis using a random effects model was performed for outcomes with sufficient data, and a vote-counting synthesis was performed for studies with insufficient data or fewer than two studies per outcome.

resultsSeventeen randomised controlled trials were included. All were conducted internationally, primarily in Asia. Ten studies assessed psychological interventions (e.g. cognitive behavioural therapy), six assessed pharmacological interventions (e.g. ketamine) and one assessed acupuncture. Meta-analysis revealed significant intervention effects on pre-operative anxiety scores (n = 429, Hedge's g = -1.03, p = 0.001) and postoperative depression scores at hospital discharge (n = 188, Hedge's g = -0.88, p < 0.001), whereas no significant intervention effect was found in anxiety scores at discharge (n = 188, Hedge's g = -1.54, p = 0.08). Vote-counting synthesis identified intervention effects on depression and anxiety scores on day 3 postoperatively and on depression scores at one-week postoperatively, while all other time-points showed no intervention effect. DISCUSSION: Psychological and pharmacological interventions are effective at reducing pre-operative anxiety and immediate postoperative depression scores in patients having oncological surgery, but these benefits do not persist postoperatively. Hence, future research efforts should focus on development and testing of interventions that are effective and implementable within the peri-operative context.

Indexed as

AnxietyDepressionNeoplasmsPerioperative CareHumansMental HealthRandomized Controlled Trials as Topicanxietycancerdepressionevidence synthesisliterature review

Identifiers

PMID39777730
PMCPMC12331249

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Registered trials

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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.