University of Queensland (UQ) research has found that cases of major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders have increased by more than 25 per cent worldwide.
The world-first Study of the impact of COVID-19 on mental health comprised a team from UQ’s School of Public Health, the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (University of Washington).
UQ said the Study estimated people living in countries severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic had been most affected, especially women and younger people.
It said the Study was the first to assess global impacts of the pandemic on major depressive and anxiety disorders, quantifying the prevalence and burden of the disorders by age, sex and location in 204 countries and territories in 2020.
Study leader, Damian Santomauro said countries hit hardest by the pandemic in 2020 had the greatest rise in prevalence of the disorders.
“We estimated that cases of major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders increased by 28 per cent and 26 per cent respectively in 2020, with women affected more than men, and younger people affected more than older age groups,” Dr Santomauro said.
“Countries with high COVID-19 infection rates and major reductions in the movement of people — a consequence of measures such as lockdowns and school closures — were found to have the greatest increases in prevalence of major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders.”
Dr Santomauro said mental health systems would need urgent strengthening to cope with the significant increase in cases of major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders and taking no action should not be an option.
“Support services should be improved by promoting mental wellbeing, targeting factors contributing to poor mental health that have been made worse by the pandemic and improving treatment for those who develop a mental disorder,” he said.
“Even before the pandemic, mental health-care systems in most countries had historically been under-resourced and disorganised in their service delivery, so meeting the added demand for mental health services due to COVID-19 will be challenging,” Dr Santomauro said.
The university’s 13-page Global prevalence and burden of depressive and anxiety disorders in 204 countries and territories in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic Report can be accessed at this PS News link.
