Mental Health Outcomes of Quarantine and Isolation for Infection Prevention: A Systematic Umbrella Review of the Global Evidence

Hossain MM, Sultana A, Purohit N. Mental health outcomes of quarantine and isolation for infection prevention: A systematic umbrella review of the global evidence. Epidemiol Health. (2020) DOI:10.4178/epih.e2020038

11 Pages Posted: 26 Mar 2020 Last revised: 21 Jul 2020

See all articles by Md Mahbub Hossain

Md Mahbub Hossain

Research Initiative for Health Equity (RiHE)

Abida Sultana

Nature Study Society of Bangladesh

Neetu Purohit

Indian Institute of Health Management Research (IIHMR)

Date Written: March 17, 2020

Abstract

Background: Transmission of infectious diseases is often prevented by quarantine and isolation of the populations at risk. These approaches restrict the mobility, social interactions, and daily activities of the affected individuals. In recent novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, quarantine and isolation are being adopted in many contexts, which necessitates an evaluation of global evidence on how such measures impact the mental health outcomes among populations. This umbrella review aimed to synthesize the available evidence on mental health outcomes of quarantine and isolation for preventing infectious diseases.

Materials and methods: We searched nine major databases and additional sources and included articles if they were systematically conducted reviews, published as peer-reviewed journal articles, and reported mental health outcomes of quarantine or isolation in any population.

Results: Among 1364 citations, only eight reviews met our criteria. Most of the primary studies in those reviews were conducted in high-income nations and in hospital settings. These articles reported a high burden of mental health problems among patients, informal caregivers, and healthcare providers who experienced quarantine or isolation. Prevalent mental health problems among the affected individuals include depression, anxiety, mood disorders, psychological distress, posttraumatic stress disorder, insomnia, fear, stigmatization, low self-esteem, lack of self-control, and other adverse mental health outcomes.

Conclusion: This umbrella review found severe mental health problems among individuals and populations who have undergone quarantine and isolation in different contexts. This evidence necessitates multipronged interventions including policy measures for strengthening mental health services globally and promoting psychosocial wellbeing among high-risk populations.

Keywords: Mental Health, Mental Disorders, Psychological Health, Quarantine, Isolation, Infectious Disease, Communicable Disease, COVID-19, Coronavirus, Systematic Review, Meta-analysis, Umbrella Review

Suggested Citation

Hossain, Md Mahbub and Sultana, Abida and Purohit, Neetu, Mental Health Outcomes of Quarantine and Isolation for Infection Prevention: A Systematic Umbrella Review of the Global Evidence (March 17, 2020). Hossain MM, Sultana A, Purohit N. Mental health outcomes of quarantine and isolation for infection prevention: A systematic umbrella review of the global evidence. Epidemiol Health. (2020) DOI:10.4178/epih.e2020038, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3561265 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3561265

Md Mahbub Hossain (Contact Author)

Research Initiative for Health Equity (RiHE) ( email )

Abida Sultana

Nature Study Society of Bangladesh ( email )

Khulna, 09000
Bangladesh

Neetu Purohit

Indian Institute of Health Management Research (IIHMR) ( email )

1, Prabhu Dayal Marg
Sanganer Airport
Jaipur, Karnataka 302011
India

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