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. 2025 Jul 18:17:2145-2155.
doi: 10.2147/IJWH.S520260. eCollection 2025.

Association Between Depression Severity and Ovarian Cancer Among American Women: A Cross-Sectional Study

Li Yang #  1 , Shuang Zhang #  1 , Yajun Li  2 , Haiqing Qian  3 , Wenting Xu  3 , Jinfen Yu  1
Affiliations

Association Between Depression Severity and Ovarian Cancer Among American Women: A Cross-Sectional Study

Li Yang et al. Int J Womens Health. .

Abstract

Objective: Inflammation is one of the main causes of ovarian cancer. Depression leads to an increase in pro-inflammatory cytokines, which in turn affects the progression and severity of cancer. There is a lack of research on the relationship between depression severity and ovarian cancer. This study aimed to explore the relationship between depression severity and ovarian cancer.

Methods: The study used data from seven cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES, 2005-2018). Weighted multivariable logistic regression models were used to analyze the association between depression severity and ovarian cancer.

Results: A total of 14,843 women without cancer and 56 women only with ovarian cancer were included in this study. Weighted multivariable logistic regression models showed that severe depression was associated with ovarian cancer (unadjusted model, OR: 4.94, 95% CI: 1.14, 21.35, p < 0.05, p for trend: 0.1; partially adjusted model, OR: 6.10, 95% CI: 1.35, 27.51, p < 0.05, p for trend: 0.04; fully adjusted model, OR: 5.82, 95% CI: 1.19, 28.52, p < 0.05, p for trend: 0.05).

Conclusion: Severe depression was positively correlated with ovarian cancer. Longitudinal studies are necessary to explore causality.

Keywords: NHANES; PHQ-9; cross-sectional study; depression severity; ovarian cancer.

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Conflict of interest statement

Li Yang and Shuang Zhang are co-first authors for this study. The authors declare no competing interests in this work. The authors also confirm that there are no funding sources or affiliations that may influence the design, analysis, or interpretation of the research.

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