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World J Psychiatry. Mar 19, 2026; 16(3): 114348
Published online Mar 19, 2026. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v16.i3.114348
Published online Mar 19, 2026. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v16.i3.114348
Age-related and sex-related disparities in psychological distress among thyroid cancer patients: A retrospective study
Wen Li, Cheng Wang, Yun-Ling Wang, Si-Xian Gao, Jing Bao, Qian-Wen Zhu, Department of Thyroid Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Tai’an 271000, Shandong Province, China
Yue-Xin Su, Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Tai’an 271000, Shandong Province, China
Author contributions: Li W written the first draft of the manuscript; Li W, Wang C, Wang YL, and Gao SX performed data collection and clinical assessment; Li W and Bao J conducted statistical analysis and interpretation; Li W and Zhu QW contributed to the study conception and design; Su YX contributed to psychological assessment coordination and patient recruitment; Zhu QW supervised the entire study; all authors contributed to subsequent revisions and critical review of the content, read and approved the final manuscript for publication.
Supported by Tai'an Science and Technology Innovation Development Project, No. 2023NS259.
Institutional review board statement: This retrospective study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University (No. XYZ123-V2.0-20250115). The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki.
Informed consent statement: The requirement for written informed consent was waived by the ethics committee because the study used de-identified data collected retrospectively and posed minimal risk to participants.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest related to this study.
Data sharing statement: No additional data are available.
Corresponding author: Qian-Wen Zhu, MS, Department of Thyroid Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, No. 366 Taishan Street, Taishan District, Tai’an 271000, Shandong Province, China. zqw1855@163.com
Received: October 10, 2025
Revised: November 6, 2025
Accepted: December 2, 2025
Published online: March 19, 2026
Processing time: 140 Days and 1.5 Hours
Revised: November 6, 2025
Accepted: December 2, 2025
Published online: March 19, 2026
Processing time: 140 Days and 1.5 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: This retrospective study explored the influence of age and gender on psychological health in thyroid cancer patients. Results revealed that female and younger patients exhibited significantly higher levels of anxiety and depression and lower quality of life scores compared with males and older patients. Multiple regression analysis confirmed that female sex, young age, advanced TNM stage, and lower education level were independent risk factors for poor psychological outcomes. These findings highlight the need for early psychological screening and tailored intervention strategies for high-risk subgroups to improve overall treatment effectiveness and quality of life.