Association of anxiety and depression with oral mucositis: A systematic review

Anxiety and depression are frequent conditions among individuals undergoing antineoplastic therapy, but their relationship with oral mucositis is unclear. This systematic review evaluated the potential association of anxiety and depression with frequency and severity of chemo/radiotherapy-induced oral mucositis.

Electronic searches were undertaken in five databases supplemented by manual scrutiny and gray literature searches in three other databases. The risk of bias was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute tool.

Eight observational studies conducted on 954 individuals (male-to-female ratio: 1.1:1; age range: six-82 years). Three (37.5%) studies included patients with solid tumors, two (25%) studies included hematopoietic/lymphoid tissue tumors, and two (25%) studies comprised mixed types of malignant neoplasms. Eight different instruments were used to assess oral mucositis, while seven different instruments were used to evaluate anxiety and depression. Associations of anxiety and/or depression with oral mucositis severity were reported in six (75.0%) studies. Oral mucositis-related symptoms, especially pain, were linked with depression in three (37.5%) studies.

A relatively low number of cases and data heterogeneity hamper definitive conclusion about the potential association between anxiety/depression and oral mucositis. Further studies that could guide more personalized treatments are warranted to investigate this plausible bidirectional interaction.