Zhao F, Bo Y, Su XL. Effect of cognitive behavioral therapy on cancer-related fatigue and psychological status in ovarian cancer patients: A meta-analysis. World J Psychiatry 2025; 15(12): 112479 [PMID: 41357911 DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v15.i12.112479]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Xue-Lian Su, PhD, Professor, Medical College, Northwest Minzu University, No. 1 Northwest New Village, Chengguan District, Lanzhou 730030, Gansu Province, China. yxsxl@xbmu.edu.cn
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Psychology, Clinical
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Meta-Analysis
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This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Dec 19, 2025 (publication date) through Dec 9, 2025
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World Journal of Psychiatry
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2220-3206
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Baishideng Publishing Group Inc, 7041 Koll Center Parkway, Suite 160, Pleasanton, CA 94566, USA
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Zhao F, Bo Y, Su XL. Effect of cognitive behavioral therapy on cancer-related fatigue and psychological status in ovarian cancer patients: A meta-analysis. World J Psychiatry 2025; 15(12): 112479 [PMID: 41357911 DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v15.i12.112479]
World J Psychiatry. Dec 19, 2025; 15(12): 112479 Published online Dec 19, 2025. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v15.i12.112479
Effect of cognitive behavioral therapy on cancer-related fatigue and psychological status in ovarian cancer patients: A meta-analysis
Fei Zhao, Yan Bo, Xue-Lian Su
Fei Zhao, Yan Bo, Xue-Lian Su, Medical College, Northwest Minzu University, Lanzhou 730030, Gansu Province, China
Fei Zhao, Yan Bo, Xue-Lian Su, Key Laboratory of Environmental Ecology and Population Health in Northwest Minority Areas, Northwest Minzu University, Lanzhou 730030, Gansu Province, China
Co-corresponding authors: Yan Bo and Xue-Lian Su.
Author contributions: Zhao F, Bo Y conducted literature search, literature screening, data extraction and statistical analysis; Su XL conducted material proofreading; All authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript.
Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 81860716; Natural Science Foundation of Gansu Province, No. 22JR11RA237; and Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of Northwest Minzu University, No. 31920230067.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
PRISMA 2009 Checklist statement: The authors have read the PRISMA 2009 Checklist, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the PRISMA 2009 Checklist.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Xue-Lian Su, PhD, Professor, Medical College, Northwest Minzu University, No. 1 Northwest New Village, Chengguan District, Lanzhou 730030, Gansu Province, China. yxsxl@xbmu.edu.cn
Received: July 28, 2025 Revised: August 23, 2025 Accepted: October 11, 2025 Published online: December 19, 2025 Processing time: 122 Days and 3.9 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Substantial clinical evidence supports the efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for various diseases, particularly in oncology. However, the true impact of CBT interventions on cancer-related fatigue and mental health in patients with ovarian cancer remains unknown.
AIM
To evaluate the effects of CBT on fatigue, anxiety, depression and quality of life in patients with ovarian cancer.
METHODS
Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on CBT for patients with ovarian cancer were searched in the PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science and Cochrane Library databases. According to the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses statement, we formulated the inclusion and exclusion criteria, strictly screened the literatures, extracted data and performed a meta-analysis.
RESULTS
Six RCTs with 332 ovarian cancer patients were included. Compared with the control group, cancer fatigue [mean difference (MD) = -0.98, 95% confidence interval (CI): -1.47 to -0.50], anxiety [standardized mean difference (SMD) = -0.64, 95%CI: -0.91 to -0.36] and depression levels (SMD = -0.41, 95%CI: -0.76 to -0.06) of the patients in the experimental group reduced after CBT intervention. Quality of life (MD = 1.28, 95%CI: 0.65 to 1.90) and sleep quality (MD = -0.49, 95%CI: -0.66 to -0.33) of the patients improved, and the differences between the groups were statistically significant (P < 0.01). The quality evaluation results suggested that the quality of the included RCTs was low. The meta-regression results showed that patient age and nurse guidance affected treatment outcomes, especially anxiety, whereas the specific method of CBT had a non-significant effect.
CONCLUSION
CBT effectively improves mental status and cancer-related fatigue in patients with ovarian cancer undergoing chemotherapy. Future research should prioritize adequately powered RCTs with standardized outcome measures and longitudinal designs to establish sustained efficacy.
Core Tip: Despite the role of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in oncology, its specific impact on debilitating fatigue and mental health in patients with ovarian cancer remains unclear. This meta-analysis revealed that CBT simultaneously alleviates cancer-related fatigue, anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances, while significantly improving quality of life in chemotherapy-treated patients. Nurse-guided delivery enhances these benefits. These findings suggest that CBT may be an essential non-pharmacological strategy for managing this population’s complex symptom burden.
