Anxiety Search Strategy and Results

Initial references prior to update: 37

Databases searched for update: PubMed, CINAHL

Search results of literature retrieved 5/1/2008–1/1/2019:

  • PubMed
    • (Therapy/Broad[filter] OR systematic[sb]) AND (cancer[ti] OR oncolog*[ti] OR Neoplasms[majr]) AND (Anxiety[mesh] OR anxiety[ti] OR distress[ti]) AND ("2008/05/01"[PDAT] : "2019/01/01"[PDAT])
    • 1,370 citations retrieved
  • CINAHL
    • (MM anxiety OR TI anxiety OR AB anxiety OR TI distress) AND (cancer OR neoplasms OR oncolog*)
    • Limiters: Published Date: 20080501-20190101, English Language, Human
    • 2,726 citations retrieved

347 titles were selected for a full article review.

350 final studies were included after the removal of duplicates and studies that did not meet inclusion criteria and the addition of manuscripts retrieved in other topics meeting anxiety criteria.

Inclusion Criteria: 

  1. Full research report, systematic review, guideline, or meta-analysis
  2. Study must report results of the measurement of anxiety 
  3. The study examines an intervention aimed at affecting anxiety
  4. Study sample must include patients with cancer
  5. General and procedure-related anxiety are included
  6. As of 1/1/2016, additional inclusions are (a) sample size of at least 40 or 20 per study group, and (b) for complex interventions, the description of the intervention must be sufficient to identify the components of that intervention.

Exclusion Criteria: 

  1. Grey literature
  2. Studies that report distress findings only and do not include a measurement and report of findings for anxiety