Mental disorders are very common during coronavirus pandemics

Researchers in the United States have conducted a study showing a high incidence of mental disorders over populations affected by coronavirus pandemics.

A team meta-analysis of research on COVID-19, coronary airway syndrome (SARS) and Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome (MERS) found that one in five adults developed psychiatric disorders associated with pandemic.

Mental morbidity and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were the most common disorders among the majority of the population.

These disorders most commonly occurred among adults with or overcoming disease, followed by health care providers, community adults, and quarantined adults.

Future research examining subpopulations most at risk from mental disorders will be critical in implementing interventions in a cost-effective and equitable manner, says Matthew Boden of VA Palo Alto Healthcare System in California and colleagues.

A pre-printed version of the paper is available on the medRxiv * server, while the article is subject to peer review.

Stressors associated with pandemics tend to increase the risk of mental disorders

Several studies have previously documented adverse mental health side effects associated with coronavirus pandemics.

In the context of COVID-19, a systematic review of this literature would provide useful information on the frequency of various mental disorders that may be common among affected populations.

Pandemic-related pressures, threats and trauma such as viral exposure, seeing illness or death, limited mobility, unemployment and economic loss are all likely to increase the risk of mental health problems.

“Infectious / rehabilitated adults and health care providers, in particular, may experience traumatic events (eg aggressive medications, seeing death) that increase the risk of post-traumatic stress disorder, ”The team writes.

What did the researchers do?

The team systematically reviewed and meta-analyzed research on pandemics of COVID-19, SARS and MERS to examine the incidence of psychiatric disorders among affected populations.

In particular, the team examined whether the incidence of mental disorders increased among these numbers compared with non-selected numbers (random samples) reported in the literature.

For example, a 2014 meta-analysis of 157 studies from 59 countries reported a 12-month frequency of 15.4% for mood and anxiety disorders.

An epidemiologic study in 2019 conducted in China found that the frequency of twelve months (or less) of mental disorder was 9.3%, while it was 5.0% for anxiety disorder, 3.6% for severe anxiety disorder. mental and 2% for PTSD. A 2004 study conducted in Europe also found that the twelve-month (or less) frequency of anxiety disorder and depression was 6.4% and 3.9%, respectively.

“Contrary to these estimates, we considered that all disorders would be more common in all populations (we studied) with the risks, pressures and trauma that often present. effect, and said Boden and colleagues.

One in five had a mental illness

The team searched various electronic databases between April 15 and June 1, 2020 and identified 60 published articles covering 66,190 participants.

From these articles, 725 individual estimates of point frequency (proportion of the population with a disease at a given time) were obtained and included in a series of multivariate meta-analyzes.

The median summary point frequency was a mental disorder (mental morbidity, anxiety, depression, and PTSD) over the various numbers studied (community, infectious / recovering, health care provider, quarantine) 20%.

Overall, frequency estimates were significantly higher than those reported by previous studies of nonselected samples.

Mental morbidity was the most common disorder (32%) across all populations, with the exception of depression in community adults.

The second most common disorder was PTSD (21%,) followed by depression (17%), and anxiety (12%).

Most affected were individuals with disease / recovery and health care providers

The rate of psychiatric morbidity and PTSD was highest among infected / rehabilitated adults, followed by health care providers, community adults, and quarantined adults.

Among infectious / relapsed adults, the incidence of psychiatric morbidity and PTSD ranged from 25% to 56%. Among health care providers, the incidence of psychiatric morbidity was 29% and PTSD at 21%.

Among adults in the community, the incidence of depression and PTSD was 19% and 15%, respectively.

Across all mental disorders, the highest frequency was again found among infected / rehabilitated adults (30%), followed by health care providers (20%), community adults (16%), and quarantined adults. (12%).

Future research is needed to help plan interventions

Boden and colleagues say the study provides useful data for understanding and potentially interfering with the future mental health effects of COVID-19 and coronavirus pandemics. reduce.

It will be important to examine whether the incidence of mental disorders is increasing in countries with prolonged periods of SARS-CoV-2 infection and economic hardship (e.g., the United States, Brazil, ”they writing.

The researchers acknowledge that such countries may have higher levels of the disorders studied in this study.

“Future research that explores the potentially wide pathways to individual outcomes among at-risk underprivileges will be involved in engaging in some way. which is cost – effective, efficient and accurate, “the team concluded.