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Meta-Analysis
. 2022 Oct 15:315:70-95.
doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.07.011. Epub 2022 Jul 14.

The global evolution of mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies

Jude Mary Cénat  1 , Seyed Mohammad Mahdi Moshirian Farahi  2 , Rose Darly Dalexis  3 , Wina Paul Darius  4 , Farid Mansoub Bekarkhanechi  5 , Hannah Poisson  5 , Cathy Broussard  4 , Gloria Ukwu  4 , Emmanuelle Auguste  4 , Duy Dat Nguyen  4 , Ghizlène Sehabi  4 , Sarah Elizabeth Furyk  4 , Andi Phaelle Gedeon  4 , Olivia Onesi  4 , Aya Mesbahi El Aouame  4 , Samiyah Noor Khodabocus  4 , Muhammad S Shah  5 , Patrick R Labelle  6
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

The global evolution of mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies

Jude Mary Cénat et al. J Affect Disord. .

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic impacted mental health, but the global evolution of mental health problems during the pandemic is unknown. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies to evaluate the global evolution of mental health problems during the pandemic.

Methods: To conduct this systematic review, we searched for published articles from APA PsycInfo (Ovid), CINAHL (EBSCOhost), Embase (Ovid), MEDLINE (Ovid), and Web of Science. Longitudinal (at least 2 waves during the COVID-19 pandemic) and peer-reviewed articles on mental health problems conducted as from 2020 and after were included in the current study. Of 394 eligible full texts, 64 articles were included in the analysis. We computed random effects, standardized mean differences, and log odds ratio (LOR) with 95 % CIs. The meta-analysis protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42021273624).

Results: Results showed that anxiety (LOR = -0.33; 95 % CI, -0.54, -0.12) and depression symptoms (LOR = -0.12; 95 % CI, -0.21, -0.04) decreased from baseline to follow up. However, other mental health problems showed no change. Higher prevalence rates (40.9 %; 95 % CI, 16.1 %-65.8 %) of psychological distress were found in months after July 2020, respectively, while there were no significant month differences for the prevalence of other mental health problems. Higher means of anxiety (d = 3.63, 95 % CI, 1.66, 5.61), depression (d = 3.93; 95 % CI, 1.68, 6.17), and loneliness (d = 5.96; 95 % CI, 3.22, 8.70) were observed in May 2020. Higher prevalence of anxiety, depression, and PTSD and higher means of anxiety, depression and loneliness were observed in North America. The prevalence of psychological distress and insomnia was higher in Latin America and Europe, respectively.

Limitations: There is a lack of longitudinal studies in some parts of the world, such as Africa, the Caribbean, India, the Middle East, in Latin America, and Asia.

Conclusions: Results indicated that anxiety and depression symptoms decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic while other mental health problems showed no statistical change. The findings reveal that mental health problems peaked in April and May 2020. Prevalence of mental health problems remains high during the pandemic and mental health prevention, promotion and intervention programs should be implemented to mitigate the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global population.

Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic; Longitudinal studies; Mental health problems; meta-analysis.

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Conflict of interest statement

None reported.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
PRISMA chart for the meta-analysis search process.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Changes in anxiety symptoms from the baseline to the follow-up.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
The LOR of anxiety across regions and measures.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Changes in depression symptoms from the baseline to the follow-up.
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
The LOR of depression across regions and measures.
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Changes in psychological distress symptoms from the baseline to the follow-up.
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
The LOR of psychological distress across regions and measures.
Fig. 8
Fig. 8
Changes in PTSD symptoms from the baseline to the follow-up.
Fig. 9
Fig. 9
The LOR of PTSD across regions and measures.
Fig. 10
Fig. 10
Changes in substance use symptoms from the baseline to the follow-up.
Fig. 11
Fig. 11
The LOR of substance use across regions.
Fig. 12
Fig. 12
Changes in insomnia symptoms from the baseline to the follow-up.
Fig. 13
Fig. 13
Changes in loneliness from the baseline to the follow-up.
Fig. 14
Fig. 14
The LOR of loneliness across regions and measures.
Fig. 15
Fig. 15
Changes in suicidal ideation from the baseline to the follow-up.
Fig. 16
Fig. 16
Evolution of most reported mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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