Anxiety Linked to COVID-19: A Systematic Review Comparing Anxiety Rates in Different Populations

Hafsah Saeed, Ardalan Eslami, Najah T. Nassif, Ann M. Simpson and Sara Lal
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Hafsah Saeed: Neuroscience Research Unit, School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia
Ardalan Eslami: Neuroscience Research Unit, School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia
Najah T. Nassif: School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia
Ann M. Simpson: School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia
Sara Lal: Neuroscience Research Unit, School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 4, 1-26

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has incited a rise in anxiety, with uncertainty regarding the specific impacts and risk factors across multiple populations. A qualitative systematic review was conducted to investigate the prevalence and associations of anxiety in different sample populations in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. Four databases were utilised in the search (Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO). The review period commenced in April 2021 and was finalised on 5 July 2021. A total of 3537 studies were identified of which 87 were included in the review (sample size: 755,180). Healthcare workers had the highest prevalence of anxiety (36%), followed by university students (34.7%), the general population (34%), teachers (27.2%), parents (23.3%), pregnant women (19.5%), and police (8.79%). Risk factors such as being female, having pre-existing mental conditions, lower socioeconomic status, increased exposure to infection, and being younger all contributed to worsened anxiety. The review included studies published before July 2021; due to the ongoing nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, this may have excluded relevant papers. Restriction to only English papers and a sample size > 1000 may have also limited the range of papers included. These findings identify groups who are most vulnerable to developing anxiety in a pandemic and what specific risk factors are most common across multiple populations.

Keywords: COVID-19; anxiety; mental health; qualitative systematic review (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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