Risk factors for mental health in general population during SARS-COV2 pandemic: a systematic review

Abstract

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic and its social restrictions have affected mental health globally. This systematic review aims to analyze the psychological responses of the general population and its related sociodemographic risk factors, excluding the most vulnerable groups (e.g., healthcare workers, COVID-19 patients and survivors, pregnant women, people with chronic diseases or preexisting psychiatric disorders). A reproducible search from June 2020 to February 2021 was conducted on PubMed and Google Scholar, following the PRISMA guidelines. Papers that (1) considered the most at-risk populations, (2) did not report sociodemographic data, and (3) did not use validated scales were excluded from our analysis. Non-English papers and review articles were also excluded. Of 1116 papers identified, 25 were included for this review (n = 162,465). The main risk factors associated with the emergence of depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, and obsessive compulsive disorder were: female gender, younger and later age, high level of education, Latino origin, free marital status, living quarantine in a house with no outdoor, negative coping strategies, close proximity to positive cases, high concern about contracting COVID-19 and living in a most affected area. High income, physical activity, resilience, family support, and a high level of knowledge about COVID-19, seems to be protective factors against the onset of psychological symptoms. In a general population, COVID-19 restrictions are linked to risk factors for psychological disorders caused by gender and sociodemographic conditions. In this regard governments should pay more attention to the public’s mental health and its risk and protective factors.