Which countries have the most depression and anxiety due to the COVID-19 pandemic

a to study published this Friday in the scientific journal The Lancet approached the Global prevalence and burden of depressive and anxiety disorders to 204 countries and territories in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers from different universities and specialties but focused on mental health came to the conclusion that before last year, mental disorders were the main causes of the global health burden, and depressive and anxiety disorders were the main contributors to this burden. The study found that Latin America is one of the hardest-hit regions in the world.

“The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has created an environment in which many determinants of poor mental health are exacerbated. The need for up-to-date information on the impacts of the novel coronavirus on mental health in a way that informs health system responses is imperative. In this workshop, our goal was to quantify the impact of the pandemic on the prevalence and burden of major depressive disorders and anxiety disorders around the world in 2020Scientists pointed out in the document.

Argentina, among the countries most affected – in red – by the pandemic of mental health disorders (Graphic: The Lancet)

How did they do it? They performed a systematic review of data reporting the prevalence of major depressive disorders and anxiety disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic and published between January 1, 2020 and January 29, 2021. They took turns looking on PubMed, Google Scholar, preprint servers, gray literature sources and experts consulted. Eligible studies reported the prevalence of depressive or anxiety disorders that were representative of the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic and had a pre-pandemic baseline. The authors used the data collected in a meta-regression to estimate the change in the prevalence of major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders between the pre-pandemic and mid-pandemic period (using periods defined by each study) through COVID-19 impact indicators (human mobility, daily SARS-CoV-2 infection rate and daily excess mortality rate).

Thus they used these models to estimate the evolution of the pre-pandemic prevalence by age, sex and location. “We use final prevalence estimates and disability weights to estimate years lived with disability and disability-adjusted life years (DALY) for major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders,” they explained. .

Among the warnings listed by experts, they pointed out that this pandemic has created a growing urgency to strengthen mental health systems in most countries. Mitigation strategies could incorporate ways to promote mental well-being and focus on the determinants of poor mental health and interventions to treat people with mental disorders. Taking no action to cope with the burden of major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders should not be an option.

Mental disorders are among the main causes of the global health burden. The to study 2019 Global Burden of Disease, Injury and Risk Factors (GBD) showed that the two most disabling mental disorders were depressive and anxiety disorders, both of which were ranked among the top 25 causes of burden in the world in 2019. This burden was high throughout life, for both sexes and in many places. Perhaps more importantly, there has been no reduction in the prevalence or overall burden of any of the disorders since 1990, despite compelling evidence of interventions that reduce their impact.

According to scientists, The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 in this context has raised many questions about the effects induced on mental health through its direct psychological effects and its long-term economic and social consequences..

Among the main results, they observed that of the 5,683 unique data sources obtained from the systematic review, 1674 remained after the selection of titles and abstracts. In all, 46 studies met the inclusion criteria for major depressive disorder and 27 for anxiety disorders. Human mobility – that is, lockdown programs – and the daily rate of SARS-CoV-2 infection were significantly associated with the change in the prevalence of major depressive disorder and anxiety disorder.

After controlling for human mobility and the daily rate of SARS-CoV-2 infection, the daily excess mortality rate was not associated with the change in the prevalence of major depressive disorder or anxiety disorders. This was likely due to the strong collinearity between the daily excess mortality rate and the other two COVID-19 impact variables, highlighted in the scientific article.

And they underlined: “For both disorders, namely anxiety and depression, women were more affected than men, and the younger age groups were more affected than the older age groups.

“Unlike other demographic shocks, COVID-19 has gone global, changing many aspects of the lives of most, if not all, of the world’s populations.. Our analysis suggests that the impacts on the prevalence and burden of major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders were substantial., especially in women and younger populations, ”concluded the more than 50 authors of the meta-analysis.

In the same spirit as the publication of The Lancet, the World Health Organization (WHO) and European health ministers recently warned that the coronavirus pandemic will have a “long-term” impact on the mental health of populations.

“There is clearly an increase in anxiety symptoms in more people today,” advanced in an interview with Infobae the psychiatrist Marcelo Cetkovich, medical director of INECO. “Since the start of the pandemic, symptoms that indicate more worry have been observed, along with nervousness or irritability. In some people it can even lead to tachycardia and maximum panic attacks, ”Cetkovich added.

Faced with anxiety, the specialist considers that it is – in reality – an emotional response that allows human beings to face themselves in a context that they cannot modify. With the pandemic, there is a situation of health and economic uncertainty, and it is normal for symptoms of anxiety to increase. The problem is that having prolonged for so long, people start to suffer from mental fatigue.“, I consider.

Anxiety involves the activation of two endocrine systems in the human body: on the one hand, adrenaline and norepinephrine in the short term, and on the other hand, the release of cortisol in the medium and long term. When these changes occur, different bodily symptoms can be triggered. Mental health experts suggest different guidelines for managing anxiety and avoiding distress.

According to Dr. Cetkovich, you need to be physically active, such as taking brisk walks outside and wearing a mask. One advice from PAHO is: “Do not use tobacco, alcohol or other drugs to manage your emotions. If you are feeling overwhelmed by the situation, talk to a mental health professional. “

KEEP READING: