+Originally published by 2 Minute Medicine® (view original article). Reused on AccessMedicine with permission.
+1. Female sex, younger age, daily SARS-CoV-2 infection rate and reduced mobility were associated with increased prevalence of major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders.
+2. 53 million new cases of major depressive disorder and 76 million new cases of anxiety disorders were reported in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
+Evidence Rating Level: 1 (Excellent)
+Prior to the pandemic, mental health conditions accounted for a large proportion of global health-related burden. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has only worsened this with social restrictions, lockdowns, school and business closures, and loss of livelihood. Now more than ever, the need for up-to-date information on global prevalence of mental health disorders is crucial. This systematic review aimed to identify the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on global burden of major depressive disorder (MDD) and anxiety disorders in 2020. The primary outcome was the change in prevalence of mental disorders between pre-pandemic and mid-pandemic, using the following impact indicators: mobility, SARS-CoV-2 infection rate, and mortality rate. According to study results, young age, female sex, and indicators such as SARS-CoV-2 infection rate as well as a reduction in human mobility were associated with an increased prevalence of both MDD and anxiety disorders. Furthermore, a positive correlation was noted between locations hit hardest by COVID-19 and burden of mental health disorders. This study was strengthened by a comprehensive review with a broad search criterion which included results from various databases.
In-depth [systematic review and meta-analysis]:
+
+This systematic review searched articles published between Jan 1, 2020, and Jan 29, 2021. Included studies reported the prevalence of MDD and anxiety in the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic and had a pre-pandemic baseline. Altogether, 48 studies were included. In general, female sex (regression coefficient [B] 0.1, 95% uncertainty interval [UI] 0.1 to 0.2, p=0.000; B 0.1, 95% UI 0.1 to 0.2, p=0.0001) and younger age (B -0.007, 95% UI -0.009 to -0.006, p=0.0001; B -0.003, 95% UI -0.005 to -0.002, p=0.0001) were linked to greater incidence of MDD and anxiety disorders, respectively. Furthermore, two of four COVID-19 impact indicators showed increased prevalence for MDD and anxiety disorders: daily SARS-CoV-2 infection rates (B 18.1, 95% UI 7.9 to 28.3, p=0.0005; B 13.8, 95% UI 10.7 to 17.0, p<0.0001) and reductions in human mobility (B 0.9, 95% UI 0.1 to 1.8, p=0.029; B 0.9, 95% UI 0.1 to 1.7, p=0.022). Approximately 53.2 million new cases of MDD were reported due to the pandemic – an increase of 27.6% (29.8% for females and 24.0% for males) from pre-pandemic levels, compared to 76.2 million new cases of anxiety disorders – an increase of 25.6% 27.9% for females and 21.7% for males from pre-pandemic levels. Overall, findings from this study suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic has escalated the global prevalence of mental disorders and the need to strengthen mental health resources is more urgent than ever before.
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