Changes in anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic in the European population: A meta-analysis of changes and associations with restriction policies
Abstract Background Early studies of common mental disorders (CMDs) during the COVID-19 pandemic mainly report increases; however, more recent findings have been mixed. Also, studies assessing the effects of restriction measures on CMDs show varied results. The aim of this meta-analysis was to ass...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2023-01-01
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| Series: | European Psychiatry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933823024677/type/journal_article |
| _version_ | 1797629671014137856 |
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| author | Veeleah Lok Hugo Sjöqvist Anna Sidorchuk Pär Flodin Walter Osika Michael Daly Philip Hyland Lars H. Andersen Peter Fallesen Marcelo C. Cabrera Ann K.S. Knudsen Karen Wetherall Emily Widnall Jenny M. Groarke Cherie Armour Christina Dalman Anna-Clara Hollander Maria Niemi |
| author_facet | Veeleah Lok Hugo Sjöqvist Anna Sidorchuk Pär Flodin Walter Osika Michael Daly Philip Hyland Lars H. Andersen Peter Fallesen Marcelo C. Cabrera Ann K.S. Knudsen Karen Wetherall Emily Widnall Jenny M. Groarke Cherie Armour Christina Dalman Anna-Clara Hollander Maria Niemi |
| author_sort | Veeleah Lok |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Abstract
Background
Early studies of common mental disorders (CMDs) during the COVID-19 pandemic mainly report increases; however, more recent findings have been mixed. Also, studies assessing the effects of restriction measures on CMDs show varied results. The aim of this meta-analysis was to assess changes in levels of CMDs from pre-/early to during the pandemic and the effects of restriction policies in the European population.
Methods
We searched for studies assessing both pre-pandemic and peri-pandemic self-reported emotional distress and symptoms of depression or anxiety among nationally/regionally representative samples in Europe and collected microdata from those studies. Estimates of corona containment index were related to changes in CMDs using random-effects meta-regression.
Results
Our search strategy resulted in findings from 15 datasets drawn from 8 European countries being included in the meta-analysis. There was no evidence of change in the prevalence of emotional distress, anxiety, or depression from before to during the pandemic; but from early pandemic periods to later periods, there were significant decreases in emotional distress and anxiety. Increased school restrictions and social distancing were associated with small increases in self-reported emotional distress.
Conclusions
Despite initial concerns of increased emotional distress and mental illness due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the results from this meta-analysis indicate that there was a decrease in emotional distress and no change in anxiety or depression in the general population in Europe. Overall, our findings support the importance of strong governance when implementing periodic and robust restriction measures to combat the spread of COVID-19.
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| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T10:56:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8c46b7dae31a43ebbb3fab233a867902 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0924-9338 1778-3585 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T10:56:21Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-8c46b7dae31a43ebbb3fab233a8679022023-11-13T07:55:24ZengCambridge University PressEuropean Psychiatry0924-93381778-35852023-01-016610.1192/j.eurpsy.2023.2467Changes in anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic in the European population: A meta-analysis of changes and associations with restriction policiesVeeleah Lok0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6870-7553Hugo Sjöqvist1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4953-7725Anna Sidorchuk2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8126-8177Pär Flodin3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0045-2037Walter Osika4https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1583-7319Michael Daly5https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1557-8326Philip Hyland6https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9574-7128Lars H. Andersen7https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2357-1896Peter Fallesen8https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0544-9977Marcelo C. Cabrera9https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7637-9075Ann K.S. Knudsen10https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1218-798XKaren Wetherall11https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4000-8969Emily Widnall12https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7107-562XJenny M. Groarke13Cherie Armour14Christina Dalman15https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3579-2357Anna-Clara Hollander16https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1246-5804Maria Niemi17https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5407-6981Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, SwedenDepartment of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, SwedenDepartment of Clinical Neuroscience, Centre for Psychiatry Research, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden Region Stockholm, Stockholm Health Care Services, Stockholm, SwedenDepartment of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, SwedenDepartment of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, SwedenDepartment of Psychology, Maynooth University, Kildare, IrelandDepartment of Psychology, Maynooth University, Kildare, IrelandROCKWOOL Foundation Research Unit, Hedehusene, DenmarkROCKWOOL Foundation Research Unit, Hedehusene, Denmark Swedish Institute for Social Research, Stockholm University, Stockholm, SwedenROCKWOOL Foundation Research Unit, Hedehusene, DenmarkDepartment of Disease Burden, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Bergen, NorwaySuicidal Behaviour Research Laboratory, School of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UKPopulation Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UKSchool of Psychology, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland School of Psychology, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, UKSchool of Psychology, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, UKDepartment of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, SwedenDepartment of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, SwedenDepartment of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden Abstract Background Early studies of common mental disorders (CMDs) during the COVID-19 pandemic mainly report increases; however, more recent findings have been mixed. Also, studies assessing the effects of restriction measures on CMDs show varied results. The aim of this meta-analysis was to assess changes in levels of CMDs from pre-/early to during the pandemic and the effects of restriction policies in the European population. Methods We searched for studies assessing both pre-pandemic and peri-pandemic self-reported emotional distress and symptoms of depression or anxiety among nationally/regionally representative samples in Europe and collected microdata from those studies. Estimates of corona containment index were related to changes in CMDs using random-effects meta-regression. Results Our search strategy resulted in findings from 15 datasets drawn from 8 European countries being included in the meta-analysis. There was no evidence of change in the prevalence of emotional distress, anxiety, or depression from before to during the pandemic; but from early pandemic periods to later periods, there were significant decreases in emotional distress and anxiety. Increased school restrictions and social distancing were associated with small increases in self-reported emotional distress. Conclusions Despite initial concerns of increased emotional distress and mental illness due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the results from this meta-analysis indicate that there was a decrease in emotional distress and no change in anxiety or depression in the general population in Europe. Overall, our findings support the importance of strong governance when implementing periodic and robust restriction measures to combat the spread of COVID-19. https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933823024677/type/journal_articleanxietyCOVID-19 restrictionsdepressionmeta-analysissocial distancing |
| spellingShingle | Veeleah Lok Hugo Sjöqvist Anna Sidorchuk Pär Flodin Walter Osika Michael Daly Philip Hyland Lars H. Andersen Peter Fallesen Marcelo C. Cabrera Ann K.S. Knudsen Karen Wetherall Emily Widnall Jenny M. Groarke Cherie Armour Christina Dalman Anna-Clara Hollander Maria Niemi Changes in anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic in the European population: A meta-analysis of changes and associations with restriction policies European Psychiatry anxiety COVID-19 restrictions depression meta-analysis social distancing |
| title | Changes in anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic in the European population: A meta-analysis of changes and associations with restriction policies |
| title_full | Changes in anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic in the European population: A meta-analysis of changes and associations with restriction policies |
| title_fullStr | Changes in anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic in the European population: A meta-analysis of changes and associations with restriction policies |
| title_full_unstemmed | Changes in anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic in the European population: A meta-analysis of changes and associations with restriction policies |
| title_short | Changes in anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic in the European population: A meta-analysis of changes and associations with restriction policies |
| title_sort | changes in anxiety and depression during the covid 19 pandemic in the european population a meta analysis of changes and associations with restriction policies |
| topic | anxiety COVID-19 restrictions depression meta-analysis social distancing |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933823024677/type/journal_article |
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