Publication Name	World Journal of Gastrointestinal Oncology
Manuscript ID	125330
DOI	10.4251/wjgo.125330
Country	China

Category	Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Manuscript Type	Meta-Analysis
Article Title	Correlates of demoralization syndrome among patients with gastrointestinal tumors: A meta-analysis
Manuscript Source	Unsolicited Manuscript
All Author List	Bo Jia, Sai-Sai Xu, Yue Yu, Wen Zhu and Feng-Juan Wang
Funding Agency and Grant Number
Corresponding Author	Wen Zhu, Department of Nursing, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, No. 4333 Kangxin Highway, Pudong New Area, Shanghai 200032, China. keaipi199@163.com
Key Words	Gastrointestinal cancers; Demoralization syndrome; Social support; Psychological resilience; Coping strategies; Correlates; Meta-analysis
Core Tip	This meta-analysis of 14 studies (n = 2849) reports pooled demoralization syndrome (DS) among gastrointestinal tumor patients (24-item DS: 35.01; 16-item DS-II: 13.50). Social support (summary r = -0.557) and psychological resilience (summary r = -0.722) were robust correlates of lower DS, while positive coping (summary r = -0.470) was negatively correlated with DS. Caution is needed given Chinese cross-sectional design, limited 3-7 studies per subgroup and extreme heterogeneity (I2: 91.8%-99.0%). Pooled correlation coefficients should not be treated as stable generalizable benchmarks. These correlational results only provide preliminary intervention research hypotheses without causal evidence.
Citation	Jia B, Xu SS, Yu Y, Zhu W, Wang FJ. Correlates of demoralization syndrome among patients with gastrointestinal tumors: A meta-analysis. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2026; In press DOI: https://doi.org/10.4251/wjgo.125330
PDF	125330-in-press.pdf

Received	2026-07-21 10:30
Peer-Review Started	2026-07-21 10:30
First Decision by Editorial Office Director
Return for Revision	2026-08-11 05:45
Revised	2026-08-20 05:19
Publication Fee Transferred	2026-09-10 02:58
Second Decision by Editor	2026-11-05 03:30
Second Decision by Editor-in-Chief
Final Decision by Editorial Office Director	2026-11-05 08:05
Articles in Press	2026-11-05 08:05
Edit the Manuscript by Language Editor
Typeset the Manuscript

ISSN	1948-5204 (online)
Open Access	This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. No commercial re-use. See Permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.
Copyright	©Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2026. No commercial re-use. See Permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.
Permissions	For details, please visit: http://www.wjgnet.com/bpg/gerinfo/207
Publisher	Baishideng Publishing Group Inc, 7041 Koll Center Parkway, Suite 160, Pleasanton, CA 94566, USA
Website	http://www.wjgnet.com