Tool to assess risk of bias in studies estimating the prevalence of mental health disorders (RoB-PrevMH)

AimTo describe the pattern of the prevalence of mental health problems during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic and examine the impact of containment measures on these trends.MethodsWe identified articles published until 30 August 2021 that reported the prevalence of mental health problems in the general population at two or more time points. A crowd of 114 reviewers extracted data on prevalence, study and participant characteristics. We collected information on the number of days since the first SARS-CoV-2 infection in the study country, the stringency of containment measures and the number of cases and deaths. We synthesised changes in prevalence during the pandemic using a random-effects model. We used dose-response meta-analysis to evaluate the trajectory of the changes in mental health problems.ResultsWe included 41 studies for 7 mental health conditions. The average odds of symptoms increased during the pandemic (mean OR ranging from 1.23 to 2.08). Heterogeneity was very large and could not be explained by differences in participants or study characteristics. Average odds of psychological distress, depression and anxiety increased during the first 2 months of the pandemic, with increased stringency of the measures, reported infections and deaths. The confidence in the evidence was low to very low.ConclusionsWe observed an initial increase in the average risk of psychological distress, depression-related and anxiety-related problems during the first 2 months of the pandemic. However, large heterogeneity suggests that different populations had different responses to the challenges imposed by the pandemic.

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How many specialists and residents in Clinical Psychology are required in the Spanish National Health System? A needs-based study

Prado-Abril,

Fernández-García,

Barber

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Background The Spanish National Health System (NHS) faces a significant shortage of specialists in Clinical Psychology with only 5.58 per 100,000 inhabitants. This study aimed to estimate the required number of specialists and residents in Clinical Psychology to provide adequate psychological treatments to the population in the Spanish public NHS. Methods A needs-based model was adapted to forecast the required total number of clinical psychologists and the annual increase in the positions of residents in Clinical Psychology (PIR). This model followed five steps: 1) obtaining Spanish prevalence rates for three broad mental disorder categories (depression, anxiety, and others) from the 2017 National Health Survey (ENSE); 2) multiplying the prevalence rates by the Spanish population; 3) defining the percentage of cases eligible for treatment under three predefined scenarios (protocolized, intermediate, and adjusted); 4) operationalizing the characteristics of the three treatment scenarios (session number and duration); and 5) calculating the total number of specialists and the annual increase required of residents in Clinical Psychology. Results Depending on the treatment scenario, the estimations show a need for Clinical Psychology specialists ranging from 1,665 to 13,527 for treating depressive disorders, 1,792 to 9,799 for anxiety disorders, and 2,074 to 8,294 clinical psychologists specifically for other mental disorders. On the other hand, depending on the treatment scenario and the timeframe to achieve the number of professionals estimated (within 3, 5, 8, or 10 years), for example, to achieve those estimations of professionals within three years, and according to the adjusted treatment scenario, the Spanish health system should offer approximately 481 PIR positions yearly during three years. Conclusions A significant increase in the number of PIR positions is necessary to meet the growing demand for psychological treatment in the Spanish NHS. Investing in a mental health workforce can lead to substantial health and economic benefits. This study provides valuable insights for workforce planning and highlights the importance of addressing the shortage of clinical psychologists in Spanish public NHS.

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Tool to assess risk of bias in studies estimating the prevalence of mental health disorders (RoB-PrevMH)

Cited by 3 publications

References 31 publications

Characteristics and completeness of reporting of systematic reviews of prevalence studies in adult populations: a metaresearch study

Characteristics and completeness of reporting of systematic reviews of prevalence studies in adult populations: a metaresearch study

Changes in the prevalence of mental health problems during the first year of the pandemic: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis

How many specialists and residents in Clinical Psychology are required in the Spanish National Health System? A needs-based study

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