Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has constituted a global health crisis that has threatened the mental health of individuals worldwide. The present paper sought to systematically review and meta-analyze studies reporting the prevalence during the COVID-19 pandemic of well-being and psychological distress as defined by the dual-continua model, which includes (absence of) psychological distress and (presence of) well-being among the general population and healthcare workers. Systematic searches were conducted in various databases: PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, and Web of Science from inception until 6 December 2020. From a total of 158 studies (N = 880,352) included in the meta-analysis, only seven reported the prevalence of well-being. A random-effect model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence among the general population and healthcare workers on depression (25%; 31%), anxiety (27%; 31%), stress (35%; 32%), and well-being (52%; 45%), respectively. Sub-group analyses based on region, income, percentage of women, preparedness of country to respond to COVID-19, and economic vulnerabilities were conducted in order to examine sources of heterogeneity in psychological distress. Results revealed differences among the two groups and indicated that disparities in terms of preparedness to fight the pandemic can distinctly affect mental health in the general population and healthcare workers. Addressing mental health during and after a health crisis should be in the spotlight of the international and national public health agenda. Considering the protective role of well-being to minimize psychological symptoms, mental health policies during the COVID-19 should include strategies to combat the psychological consequences of the pandemic by promoting well-being practices.
Highlights
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about a global health crisis with numerous and important consequences in different aspects of society
The present meta-analysis is the first to measure the prevalence of mental health from the dual-continua model during the COVID-19 pandemic, which takes into account markers of psychopathology, and of well-being as two different but related dimensions
Our meta-analysis included a total of 158 studies (n = 880,352) that assessed the prevalence of depression, anxiety, stress, and subjective/psychological well-being, comparing the results among the general population and healthcare workers
Summary
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about a global health crisis with numerous and important consequences in different aspects of society. Apart from the general population, a specific group that has faced this unprecedented situation is healthcare workers. Their duties were vital during the outbreak and course of the pandemic, taking risky decisions under extreme pressures,. Research has called to urgently compile largescale evidence about the psychological functioning of both general population and healthcare workers during and after the COVID-19 pandemic (Aknin et al, 2021; Holmes et al, 2020). No research has meta-analyzed the evidence of the impact on positive markers of mental health, such as subjective or psychological well-being. This gap highlights and aligns with the call to expand the psychological research to recognize the positive factors of mental health that facilitate better lives (Helliwell & Aknin, 2018)
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