Mental Health Impact of Early Stages of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Individuals with Pre-Existing Mental Disorders: A Systematic Review of Longitudinal Research

Angela M. Kunzler (), Saskia Lindner, Nikolaus Röthke, Sarah K. Schäfer, Maria-Inti Metzendorf, Alexandra Sachkova, Roxana Müller-Eberstein, Carmen Klinger, Jacob Burns, Michaela Coenen and Klaus Lieb
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Angela M. Kunzler: Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), 55122 Mainz, Germany
Saskia Lindner: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55131 Mainz, Germany
Nikolaus Röthke: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55131 Mainz, Germany
Sarah K. Schäfer: Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), 55122 Mainz, Germany
Maria-Inti Metzendorf: Institute of General Practice (ifam), Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
Alexandra Sachkova: Department of Anesthesiology, University Medical Center of the Georg August University Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
Roxana Müller-Eberstein: Chair of Public Health and Health Services Research, Institute for Medical Information Processing, Biometry, and Epidemiology (IBE), LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
Jacob Burns: Chair of Public Health and Health Services Research, Institute for Medical Information Processing, Biometry, and Epidemiology (IBE), LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
Michaela Coenen: Chair of Public Health and Health Services Research, Institute for Medical Information Processing, Biometry, and Epidemiology (IBE), LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
Klaus Lieb: Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), 55122 Mainz, Germany

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 2, 1-33

Abstract: In view of disease-related threats, containment measures, and disrupted healthcare, individuals with pre-existing mental illness might be vulnerable to adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Previous reviews indicated increased mental distress, with limited information on peri-pandemic changes. In this systematic review, we aimed to identify longitudinal research investigating pre- to peri-pandemic and/or peri-pandemic changes of mental health in patients, focusing on the early phase and considering specific diagnoses. PsycINFO, Web of Science, the WHO Global literature on coronavirus disease database, and the Cochrane COVID-19 Study Register weresearched through 31 May 2021. Studies were synthesized using vote counting based on effect direction. We included 40 studies mostly from Western, high-income countries. Findings were heterogeneous, with improving and deteriorating mental health observed compared to pre-pandemic data, partly depending on underlying diagnoses. For peri-pandemic changes, evidence was limited, with some suggestion of recovery of mental distress. Study quality was heterogeneous; only few studies investigated potential moderators (e.g., chronicity of mental illness). Mental health effects on people with pre-existing conditions are heterogeneous within and across diagnoses for pre- to peri-pandemic and peri-pandemic comparisons. To improve mental health services amid future global crises, forthcoming research should understand medium- and long-term effects, controlling for containment measures.

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; infections; mental disorders; longitudinal studies; systematic review (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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