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

By M. Hossain, A. Sultana, N. Purohit. Epidemiology and Health, 2020

625 citations recorded by the source corpus.

OBJECTIVES Transmission of infectious diseases is often prevented by quarantine and isolation of the populations at risk. These approaches restrict the mobility, social interactions, and daily activities of the affected individuals. In recent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, quarantine and isolation are being adopted in many contexts, which necessitates an evaluation of global evidence on how such measures impact the mental health outcomes among populations. This umbrella review aimed to synthesize the available evidence on mental health outcomes of quarantine and isolation for preventing infectious diseases. 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.

Subfields: Clinical Psychology, Neurology, Social Psychology

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/0c9ddcef58fbff67b7fee3a4526c02abee9f4584

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In Clinical Psychology

1. Roz Shafran
2. Renata Tambelli
3. Joachim Stoeber

In Social Psychology

1. Andrea Gaggioli
2. Roz Shafran
3. S. Reynolds

Citations in the corpus

• The enemy who sealed the world: effects quarantine due to the COVID-19 on sleep quality, anxiety, and psychological distress in the Italian population (2020, positive): “Traumatic events, such as those related to the global spread of unknown epidemics [3,6], generate psychological distress and anxiety symptoms, which impact sleep quality [7].”
• Rapid Systematic Review: The Impact of Social Isolation and Loneliness on the Mental Health of Children and Adolescents in the Context of COVID-19 (2020, background): “Quarantine in adults generally has negative psychological effects including confusion, anger, and posttraumatic distress.(1,2) Duration of quarantine, fear of infection, boredom, frustration, lack of necessary supplies, lack of information, financial loss, and stigma appear to increase the risk of n”
• Effects of COVID-19 Home Confinement on Eating Behaviour and Physical Activity: Results of the ECLB-COVID19 International Online Survey (2020, background): “It is already shown in China that different regional policies and socio-economic factors were associated with differences in PA [1].”