Examining Depression among Breast Cancer Patients in Nigeria: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Background: Depression is a significant mental health issue that hinders the recovery of breast cancer patients. The comorbidity of depressive disorders and breast cancer is a complex medical condition. This study aims to examine depression among breast cancer patients in Nigeria. Methods: A scoping review approach was used to explore four databases: Google Scholar, PubMed, Medline, and Scopus. Relevant search terms were used, resulting in 50 records. After removing the articles that did not meet the eligibility requirements, 12 records were included in the study. Results: Depression is commonly experienced by Nigerian breast cancer patients and they are likely to have a lower quality of life, which hinders the recovery process. Psychological interventions such as CBT, psychoeducation, rational emotive behavioral intervention, mHealth and cognitive restructuring were effective in reducing depressive symptoms among Nigerian breast cancer patients. Conclusion: Depression is a major mental health problem among breast cancer patients in Nigeria. CBT, psychoeducation, mHealth, rational emotive behavioral therapy and cognitive restructuring interventions have been found to be effective psychological methods for treating depression in this patient group. Further studies are needed in the northern parts of the country, as most of the reviewed studies were conducted in the southern parts.