Psychiatric Considerations in Breast Cancer: an Integrative Review

To synthesize recent evidence on psychiatric considerations in breast cancer care, focusing on care delivery, psychotherapy, and medication management.

Distress and psychiatric disorders are common across the breast cancer continuum. Effective care models integrate mental health professionals into oncology settings and leverage telehealth and digital interventions. While multiple psychotherapeutic approaches are beneficial, optimal interventions for specific psychosocial concerns remain unclear. Clinical guidelines caution against combining tamoxifen with strong CYP2D6 inhibitors, though recent evidence challenges the clinical significance of this concern. Benzodiazepines can be used for chemotherapy-related side effects, including nausea and insomnia, though are associated with risk of prolonged use. Psychiatric symptoms are prevalent in breast cancer, impacting health outcomes and quality of life. Routine mental health monitoring and evidence-based psychiatric interventions are integral to care. Further research is needed to refine psychiatric care delivery and optimize interventions across all treatment phases.