Abstract
Background: The swift spread of SARS-CoV-2 provides a challenge worldwide. As a consequence of restrictive public health measures like isolation, quarantine, and community containment, the provision of mental health services is a major challenge. Evidence from past virus epidemics and the current SARS-CoV-2 outbreak indicate high prevalence rates of mental health problems (MHP) as short- and long-term consequences. However, a broader picture of MHP among different populations is still lacking.Methods: We conducted a rapid review on MHP prevalence rates published since 2000, during and after epidemics, including the general public, health care workers, and survivors. Any quantitative articles reporting on MHP rates were included. Out of 2,855 articles screened, a total of 74 were included in this review.Results: Most original studies on MHP were conducted in China in the context of SARS-CoV-1, and reported on anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress symptoms/disorder, general psychiatric morbidity, and psychological symptoms. The MHP rates across studies, populations, and epidemics vary substantially. While some studies show high and persistent rates of MHP in populations directly affected by isolation, quarantine, threat of infection, infection, or life-threatening symptoms (e.g., health care workers), other studies report minor effects. Furthermore, even less affected populations (e.g., distant to epidemic epicenter, no contact history with suspected or confirmed cases) can show high rates of MHP.Discussion: MHP vary largely across countries and risk-groups in reviewed studies. The results call attention to potentially high MHP during epidemics. Individuals affected directly by an epidemic might be at a higher risk of short or even long-term mental health impairments. This study delivers insights stemming from a wide range of psychiatric instruments and questionnaires. The results call for the use of validated and standardized instruments, reference norms, and pre-post measurements to better understand the magnitude of the MHP during and after the epidemics. Nevertheless, emerging MHP should be considered during epidemics including the provision of access to mental health care to mitigate potential mental impairments.
Highlights
In the past two decades, many countries faced challenges in the realm of major infectious disease epidemics including SARS-CoV-1 [1], Swine flu (H1N1) [2], Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) [3], avian influenza (H7N9) [4], Ebolavirus [5], and the recent worldwide SARS-CoV2 outbreak [6]
The heterogeneity of integrated studies is an asset, as they offer an extensive perspective on the studied issue. In this rapid review of 74 original articles, we found a large range in prevalence rates of mental health problems (MHP) such as anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress symptoms or disorders, during and after epidemics across the general public, health care workers (HCW), and survivors
MHP might be especially prominent among HCW and survivors that are directly affected by epidemics and face a real threat of infection and difficult circumstances like isolation/quarantine or difficult working conditions
Summary
In the past two decades, many countries faced challenges in the realm of major infectious disease epidemics including SARS-CoV-1 [1], Swine flu (H1N1) [2], Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) [3], avian influenza (H7N9) [4], Ebolavirus [5], and the recent worldwide SARS-CoV2 outbreak [6]. Epidemics can negatively impact a substantial part of the general public in many different ways such as feelings of a personal threat of being infected [7, 14, 15], worries about relatives and family members or losing loved ones [14,15,16], and protective measures like mass quarantining, the consequences of which leads to individual and social restrictions, and economic loss [14] As a result, these factors can elicit feelings of anxiety, anger, loneliness, grief, boredom and may lead to serious MHP [14, 15, 17]. A broader picture of MHP among different populations is still lacking
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