Psychological impact of the quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic on the general European adult population: a systematic review of the evidence

Abstract

AimsDue to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) different countries implemented quarantine measures to limit the spread of the virus. Many studies analysed the mental health consequences of restrictive confinement, some of which focused their attention on specific populations. The general public's mental health also requires significant attention, however. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the COVID-19 quarantine on the general population's mental health in different European countries. Risk and protective factors associated with the psychological symptoms were analysed.MethodsA systematic search was conducted on four electronic databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus and Google Scholar). Studies published up until 20th April 2021, and following eligibility criteria were selected for this review. One thousand three hundred thirty-five (1335) studies were screened, 105 of which were included. Via network analysis, the current study investigated the pathways that underlie possible risk factors for mental health outcomes.ResultsAnxiety, depression, distress and post-traumatic symptoms are frequently experienced during the COVID-19 quarantine and are often associated with changes in sleeping and eating habits. Some socio-demographic and COVID-19-related variables were found to be risk factors for an individual's wellbeing. In particular, being female, young, having a low income, being unemployed and having COVID-19-like symptoms or chronic disorders, were found to be the most common risk factors for mental health symptoms.ConclusionsThe COVID-19 pandemic represented an unprecedented threat to mental health globally. In order to prevent psychological morbidity and offer support tailored to short-, medium- and long-term negative outcomes, it is essential to identify the direct and indirect psychosocial effects of the lockdown and quarantine measures, especially in certain vulnerable groups. In addition to measures to reduce the curve of viral transmission, policy makers should urgently take into consideration provisions to alleviate hazards to mental health.

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“…in the family) as risk factors for both stress and anxiety. In line with our findings, female sex has been reported as a risk factor associated with higher psychological symptoms in several studies (Bonati et al, 2022;Gualano et al, 2020;González-Sanguino et al, 2020;Alzahrani et al, 2022;Jia et al, 2022).…”

Are psychological status and trust in information related to vaccine hesitancy during COVID-19 pandemic? A latent class and mediation analyses in Italy

“… 55–58 Similarly, the association between young age, low-income and greater psychological impact of the pandemic is consistent with evidence from other studies. 9 – 59–61 Both these associations may be explained by the greater consequences of lockdown and restriction measures among these subgroups. For instance, university students were the first experiencing the effect on daily life caused by restriction measures such as online learning and social and sports activities forced interruption.…”

“… 8 For instance, a systematic review on the psychological impact of the quarantine on the general European adult population reported a prevalence of anxiety symptoms ranging from 5.5% to 70.4% and a prevalence of psychological distress between 15% and 40%. 9 …”

Attitudes towards booster, testing and isolation, and their impact on COVID-19 response in winter 2022/2023 in France, Belgium, and Italy

“…We assumed that in the 2022/2023 winter contact tracing will not be adopted anymore by authorities, as it is largely costly in terms of resources and carries a heavy social impact due to the imposed quarantine 5,6 . However, we considered a residual informal contact tracing self-performed by individuals who would alert their known contacts (relatives, friends, co-workers) that they tested positive to COVID-19.…”

“…Contact tracing and quarantine have been progressively eased due to their costs and disruption on the workforce and individual life 5,6 . Case isolation, however, remains key to reduce SARS-CoV-2 spread and protect the health system.…”