Oh, what a surprise! After years of focusing on the physical torment that advanced schistosomiasis inflicts on patients, some bright minds finally decided to peek into the mental health dungeon and discovered—drumroll, please—depression! Yes, in a groundbreaking move that no one could have possibly anticipated, researchers have unearthed that having a serious parasitic infection might just make you a tad bit sad. So, they embarked on a noble quest, scouring the vast expanse of six whole electronic databases to gather the precious data needed for a systematic review and meta-analysis. The goal? To quantify just how gloomy life gets for patients with advanced schistosomiasis in China.

Armed with the might of the PROSPERO registration (CRD42023406708, for those who fancy a bit of light reading), our heroes sifted through the digital archives and emerged victorious with 11 studies encompassing 1,673 souls. And what did they find, you ask? A staggering 62.01% of these patients were having a bit of a rough time, mentally speaking (95% CI: 51.30% – 72.72%). Shocking, I know. But wait, there’s more! It turns out, if your schistosomiasis comes with extra complications, you’re even more likely to be hosting a pity party for one. Over half of the patients were not just sad; they were officially diagnosed with mild- or moderate-level depression.

But fear not, for our intrepid researchers did not detect any publication bias in their quest, and their sensitivity analysis was as stable as a rock. Their conclusion? It’s high time we start cheering up these folks with some psychotherapeutic interventions, especially those with bonus health issues. Because, apparently, improving their quality of life might just make their existence a tad more bearable. Who would’ve thought?