A Meta-analysis of Intervention on Depression in Cancer Patients

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to analyze the characteristics and effect size of the intervention study applied to the depression of the cancer patient. METHODS: A total of 749 studies published from 1990 to 2011 were searched through the search databases and among them, 35 examples satisfied the inclusion criteria. Three independent researchers implemented the methodological qualitative evaluation. The data were analyzed using meta-analysis. RESULTS: For the depression of the cancer patient, 19 various interventions were applied. The size of the intervention effect that can be analyzed in terms of effect size came out as OR of the laugh therapy 8.122 (p=.073), OR of the music therapy 4.418 (p=.014), OR of the integrated therapy 4.418 (p=.015). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that the music therapy and integrated therapy is effective to the depression of cancer patients. Furthermore, in order to check the effects of intervention, we should need to include more randomized controlled studies and various intervention studies.