Evidence Aid Bulletin: 15 February 2024
Hello everyone,
We are delighted to present the latest edition of Evidence Aid’s Monthly Bulletin for February 2024.
Mental health is important for individuals to effectively manage life’s challenges, contribute to society, and ensure one’s overall well-being. However, factors such as adverse circumstances and a lack of resources can increase the risk of mental health conditions. In this month’s bulletin, we explore the ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, a crisis which sparked notable concerns about the increased prevalence of mental health issues on a global scale. Specifically, we will highlight summaries which examine the experiences of healthcare workers during the pandemic, including the heightened levels of depression and anxiety among medical professionals, as well as the broader impact on mental health in the general population.
As always, we hope that you’ll find this month’s bulletin interesting and enjoyable, and we extend our gratitude for your ongoing support and readership. To receive notifications about the bulletin and/or newsletter releases, kindly reach out to Jane Copsey at info@evidenceaid.org. Furthermore, if you value our work and believe in its significance, please consider donating here.
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Depression and anxiety among doctors during the Covid-19 pandemic
The authors of this systematic review investigated the prevalence of depression and anxiety among doctors during the initial year of the COVID-19 pandemic. While a significant portion of the doctors showed symptoms of depression and anxiety during this time it was not certain that these levels were more than before the pandemic. These findings have implications for guiding support measures for doctors before, during and for future crises.
Citation: Johns G, et al. The global prevalence of depression and anxiety among doctors during the COVID-19 pandemic: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders. 2022;298:431–41.
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Mental health before and during the COVID-19 pandemic
In this systematic review and meta-analysis, the authors investigated changes in mental health symptoms in people before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Their findings revealed an initial increase in mental health symptoms during their March to April 2020 study period and declined from May to July 2020. During this time, increases in mood disorders and depression increased, especially in those who had physical health conditions, but no significant changes were noticed among individuals with pre-existing mental health conditions. The authors highlighted the resilience in mental health, emphasizing the importance of continued support and monitoring focusing on depression and mood disorders.
Citation: Robinson E, et al. A systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal cohort studies comparing mental health before versus during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Journal of Affective Disorders. 2022;296:567–576.
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Thank you for taking the time to review this month’s bulletin. We hope that our summaries provide evidence-based perspectives that help bring attention to important issues such as mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. For a deeper look into our resources and further insights, explore our COVID collection here.
From,
Your Evidence Aid team