Abstract
This study aimed to examine research findings related to depression, anxiety, stress, and insomnia during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study also explored periodic changes in the prevalence of depression, anxiety, stress, and insomnia among the general people during this pandemic. We performed a meta-analysis by searching articles from several sources (PubMed, MEDLINE, and Google Scholar). We used the random-effects models, subgroup analysis, and heterogeneity test approaches. Results show that the prevalence of depression, stress, and insomnia increased during March to April 2020 (30.51%, 29.4%, and 25%, respectively) compared to the study period before February 2020 (25.25%, 16.27%, and 22.63%, respectively) and followed in May to June 2020 (16.47%, 5.1%, and 19.86, respectively). The prevalence of depression and anxiety from k = 30 studies was 28.18% (95% CI: 23.81–32.54) and 29.57% (95% CI: 24.67–34.47), respectively. And the prevalence of stress (k = 13) was 25.18% (95% CI: 14.82–35.54), and the prevalence of insomnia (k = 12) was 23.50% (95% CI: 16.44–30.57). These prevalence estimates during the pandemic are very high compared to normal times. Hence, the governments and policymakers should apply proven strategies and interventions to avoid psychological adversity and improve overall mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Highlights
In December 2019, a highly infectious acute respiratory syndrome caused by a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) originated in the city of Wuhan, China
There were 7 preprint (23.33%) and 23 published (76.67%) papers included in this study and 43% (13/30) of similar studies were found in another systematic review (Salari et al, 2020)
Patient Health Questionnaire depression module-9 (PHQ-9) tools were considered in 18 studies and Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D) was considered in 3 studies for screening depression. 3 studies used three different assessment tools (SDS, PQH-2, Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II))
Summary
In December 2019, a highly infectious acute respiratory syndrome caused by a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) originated in the city of Wuhan, China. The World Health Organization (WHO), on March 11, 2020, declared COVID-19 (the disease caused by the coronavirus) a pandemic (Huang et al, 2020; Mahmud et al, 2021b, 2021c; Mahmud et al, 2021a). It has already claimed several millions of lives across the globe. Due to the highly infectious and lethal nature of the virus, COVID-19 may disturb the mental health of people globally from infected patients, and healthcare workers to families, children, and students (Ryu et al, 2020; Bao et al, 2020; Chen et al, 2020). It is a pressing need to quantify the extent of psychological threats the COVID-19 pandemic places on people throughout the world
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