Copyright: ©Author(s) 2026. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. No commercial re-use. See permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.
World J Psychiatry. Sep 19, 2026; 16(9): 122411
Published online Sep 19, 2026. doi: 10.5498/wjp.122411
Published online Sep 19, 2026. doi: 10.5498/wjp.122411
Factors influencing anxiety and depression in postherpetic neuralgia patients
Jiao-Jiao Wang, Department of Nursing, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310009, Zhejiang Province, China
Author contributions: Wang JJ contributed to research design, data collection, data analysis, and paper writing, and was responsible for research design, funding application, data analysis, reviewing and editing, communication coordination, ethical review, copyright and licensing, and follow-up.
AI contribution statement: DeepL was used to complete the translation work for this article. The authors take full responsibility and accountability for all content of this manuscript, including any portions for which AI tools were used as assistive technologies. All AI-assisted outputs were carefully reviewed, validated, and approved by the authors. AI tools were not used to generate original scientific data, perform independent scientific analyses, or draw scientific conclusions.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The author reports no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Corresponding author: Jiao-Jiao Wang, Chief Nurse, Department of Nursing, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, No. 88 Jiefang Road, Shang
Received: April 22, 2026
Revised: May 22, 2026
Accepted: June 18, 2026
Published online: September 19, 2026
Processing time: 123 Days and 21 Hours
Revised: May 22, 2026
Accepted: June 18, 2026
Published online: September 19, 2026
Processing time: 123 Days and 21 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Postherpetic neuralgia frequently co-occurs with anxiety and depression, driven by distinct risk factors. Female sex, advanced age, high pain intensity, prolonged disease duration, extensive rash, elevated Patient Health Questionnaire-9 scores, and negative coping styles independently predict comorbid mood disorders. Early psychological screening and integrated pain-psychology management are essential to break the vicious painaffect cycle and improve prognosis.