Mental health outcomes of quarantine and isolation for infection prevention: A systematic umbrella review of the global evidence

Abstract

METHODS: We searched nine major databases and additional sources and included articles if they were systematically conducted reviews, published as peer-reviewed journal articles, and reported mental health outcomes of quarantine or isolation in any population. RESULTS: Among 1,364 citations, only eight reviews met our criteria. Most of the primary studies in those reviews were conducted in high-income nations and in hospital settings. These articles reported a high burden of mental health problems among patients, informal caregivers, and healthcare providers who experienced quarantine or isolation. Prevalent mental health problems among the affected individuals include depression, anxiety, mood disorders, psychological distress, posttraumatic stress disorder, insomnia, fear, stigmatization, low self-esteem, lack of self-control, and other adverse mental health outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: This umbrella review found severe mental health problems among individuals and populations who have undergone quarantine and isolation in different contexts. This evidence necessitates multipronged interventions including policy measures for strengthening mental health services globally and promoting psychosocial wellbeing among high-risk populations.

Effects of the lockdown on the mental health of the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy: Results from the COMET collaborative network

“…This difference could be due to the type of immediate health response in the two countries, with clear lockdown measures from the beginning of the pandemic in China [70] and a more fragmented preventive approach in Italy, which may have increased the levels of fears and uncertainty in this country [37][38][39]71]. In fact, the uncertainties about the pandemic progression, the "hypochondriac concerns" [72] and fear that the epidemic is difficult to control represent triggering factors for the development of mental health problems [73,74]. Moreover, studies carried out during natural disasters, war, fires and terroristic attacks found high levels of depressive/anxiety-related symptoms in the general population [75][76][77][78][79][80][81], but nevertheless they were significantly lower compared to those we found in our study.…”

Psychological impact of COVID‐19 quarantine measures in northeastern Italy on mothers in the immediate postpartum period

“…Therefore, pregnant women giving birth during the COVID‐19 pandemic represent a high‐risk, vulnerable population that needs to be carefully followed to minimize postpartum mental dysfunction, as previous studies have reported following natural disasters 16 . Medical and mental healthcare interventions should be carried out immediately to prevent deterioration of maternal psychological health, which is made more severe by social containment than reported for previous natural disasters 11 …”

Dose–response relationship between intergenerational contact frequency and depressive symptoms amongst elderly Chinese parents: a cross-sectional study

“…1 Changes in CES-D-10 scores and in the prevalence of depressive symptoms relative to intergenerational contact frequency. Frequency: 1 = almost never, 2 = less than once a year, 3 = once a year, 4 = once every 6 months, 5 = once every 3 months, 6 = once a month, 7 = every 2 weeks, 8 = once a week, 9 = 2-3 times a week and 10 = almost every day negative psychological impact [52][53][54]. Our findings suggest that children should keep close connections with their older parents during periods of quarantine, which may help reduce the risk of depressive symptoms.…”