Skip to content
DraconiticResearch
Search Sources API
203,203 studies31 sourcesUpdated 40 min ago
Peer-reviewedCC BYFrontiers in psychology

Prevalence of anxiety and depression in breast cancer patients: a meta-analysis.

  • Chao-Yi Jia1
  • Zhao-Yue Chen2
  • Bei-Te Liu3
  • Jing-Lu Bai1
  • Qing-Ze Chen1
  • Hao-Wen Zhang1
  • Jia-Pu Bi1
  • Jin-Peng Zhang1
  • Wen-Qiong Liu4
  • Meng-Zhen Tian1
4 affiliations
  1. 1Department of Traditional Chinese College, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China.
  2. 2Department of Acupuncture and Massage College, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China.
  3. 3Department of Pharmacy College, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China.
  4. 4Shandong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China.
Read full textPDFDOICite

Abstract

Introduction

Depression and anxiety are frequently reported among women with breast cancer, but prevalence estimates vary substantially across settings and assessment instruments. This meta-analysis synthesized recent international evidence and examined overall, severity-stratified, and instrument-specific prevalence estimates.Methods

We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, the Cochrane Library, APA PsycINFO, and Scopus for observational studies published from January 2015 through September 10, 2026. Proportions were pooled with a random-effects model after Freeman-Tukey double-arcsine transformation. Prespecified subgroup analyses examined region, assessment instrument, and study design; publication-year meta-regression and formal tests for small-study effects were also conducted. A quality-threshold sensitivity analysis re-included all otherwise eligible quality-appraised reports with extractable event counts and denominators.Results

Sixty-nine reports underwent quality appraisal; 52 entered the primary meta-analysis and 17 did not exceed the prespecified quality thresholds. The 52 reports represented 16,850 independent participants. Depression data comprised 49 reports and 16,504 participants, and anxiety data comprised 39 reports and 11,536 participants. The pooled prevalence was 44.3% for depression (95% CI: 38.3-50.4%; I ² = 98.3%) and 47.9% for anxiety (95% CI: 40.9-54.9%; I ² = 98.2%). Re-including all quality-appraised reports produced pooled estimates of 44.6% for depression (95% CI: 39.6-49.6%; 66 reports) and 48.1% for anxiety (95% CI: 41.0-55.3%; 53 reports), absolute changes of 0.27 and 0.24 percentage points, respectively. Publication year was not a significant moderator for either outcome.Conclusion

Depression and anxiety symptoms were frequently reported, but estimates varied markedly across populations and instruments. The pooled estimates should be interpreted as descriptive summaries rather than precise universal prevalence values. Study-defined severity estimates and instrument-specific results may inform screening, but direct cross-instrument comparisons require caution.

Related

  1. A Retrospective Study Analysing the Outcomes of Anxiety, Depression, and Sleep Disorders in Post-Chemotherapy Patients With Breast Cancer Based on Symptom-Targeted Supportive Psychological Nursing
    Yanyan Shi, Yu Zhou, Jin Yan +3
    Actas Españolas de PsiquiatríaPeer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Full textOncologyPMC
  2. Influence of physical activity and sedentary behaviour on anxiety and depression among breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy: a longitudinal cross-sectional study.
    Joanna Grupińska, Tomasz Jurys, Mateusz Grajek +2
    Reports of practical oncology and radiotherapy : journal of Greatpoland Cancer Center in Poznan and Polish Society of Radiation OncologyPeer-reviewedCC BY-NC-NDFull textOncologyEurope PMC
  3. Prevalence of depression and anxiety among patients with Behçet's disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
    Golbarg Mehrpoor, Mohammad Javad Amini, Arman Shafiee +3
    Advances in rheumatology (London, England)Peer-reviewedCC BYFull textGeneral medicineEurope PMCPMC
  4. Anxiety and Depression in Cervical Cancer Patients in Relation to Nutritional Status and Oxidative Stress
    Ioana-Sadiye Scripcariu, Daniela Roxana Matasariu, Demetra Gabriela Socolov +12
    Medical sciences (Basel, Switzerland)Peer-reviewedCC BYFull textGeneral medicineEurope PMC
  5. Network analysis of the relationship between anxiety, depression and resilience in patients with pancreatic cancer and gender differences.
    Haimu Cheng, Xiaomin Zhuang, Yamin Zhao +3
    BMC psychologyPeer-reviewedCC BY-NC-NDFull textOncologyEurope PMC

Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{jia2026prevalence,
  title = {{Prevalence of anxiety and depression in breast cancer patients: a meta-analysis.}},
  author = {Chao-Yi Jia and Zhao-Yue Chen and Bei-Te Liu and Jing-Lu Bai and Qing-Ze Chen and Hao-Wen Zhang and Jia-Pu Bi and Jin-Peng Zhang and Wen-Qiong Liu and Meng-Zhen Tian},
  journal = {Frontiers in psychology},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1869669},
  url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42952549},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Prevalence of anxiety and depression in breast cancer patients: a meta-analysis.
AU  - Chao-Yi Jia
AU  - Zhao-Yue Chen
AU  - Bei-Te Liu
AU  - Jing-Lu Bai
AU  - Qing-Ze Chen
AU  - Hao-Wen Zhang
AU  - Jia-Pu Bi
AU  - Jin-Peng Zhang
AU  - Wen-Qiong Liu
AU  - Meng-Zhen Tian
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/14
JO  - Frontiers in psychology
DO  - 10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1869669
UR  - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42952549
AB  - Introduction  Depression and anxiety are frequently reported among women with breast cancer, but prevalence estimates vary substantially across settings and assessment instruments. This meta-analysis synthesized recent international evidence and examined overall, severity-stratified, and instrument-specific prevalence estimates.Methods  We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, the Cochrane Library, APA PsycINFO, and Scopus for observational studies published from January 2015 through September 10, 2026. Proportions were pooled with a random-effects model after Freeman-Tukey double-arcsine transformation. Prespecified subgroup analyses examined region, assessment instrument, and study design; publication-year meta-regression and formal tests for small-study effects were also conducted. A quality-threshold sensitivity analysis re-included all otherwise eligible quality-appraised reports with extractable event counts and denominators.Results  Sixty-nine reports underwent quality appraisal; 52 entered the primary meta-analysis and 17 did not exceed the prespecified quality thresholds. The 52 reports represented 16,850 independent participants. Depression data comprised 49 reports and 16,504 participants, and anxiety data comprised 39 reports and 11,536 participants. The pooled prevalence was 44.3% for depression (95% CI: 38.3-50.4%; I ² = 98.3%) and 47.9% for anxiety (95% CI: 40.9-54.9%; I ² = 98.2%). Re-including all quality-appraised reports produced pooled estimates of 44.6% for depression (95% CI: 39.6-49.6%; 66 reports) and 48.1% for anxiety (95% CI: 41.0-55.3%; 53 reports), absolute changes of 0.27 and 0.24 percentage points, respectively. Publication year was not a significant moderator for either outcome.Conclusion  Depression and anxiety symptoms were frequently reported, but estimates varied markedly across populations and instruments. The pooled estimates should be interpreted as descriptive summaries rather than precise universal prevalence values. Study-defined severity estimates and instrument-specific results may inform screening, but direct cross-instrument comparisons require caution.
SN  - 1664-1078
ER  -