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Study: The pandemic challenges many people. Increasing depression and anxiety disorders are the result.
The number of mental illnesses has increased tremendously worldwide due to the Corona pandemic. In Covid year 2020, there were about 53 million additional cases of major depressive disorder and 76 million additional cases of anxiety disorder attributable to the viral crisis, according to a recent estimate. That would represent a global increase of 28 percent and 26 percent, respectively, warn researchers from Australia’s University of Queensland and the University of Washington in the journal The Lancet.
Governments around the world urgently need to counteract the trend, the researchers say. The increase was particularly strong in France, Spain and Italy, data from the researchers show. However, there was a lack of data from many countries, especially those with low and middle incomes. Further surveys are needed, they say.
Particularly affected: Young people, women
Younger people have been hit the hardest. Lack of interaction with peers, school closures and fear of unemployment are important factors, reports co-author Alize Ferrari.
In addition, mental disorders have increased significantly more in women than in men, she said. “Unfortunately, women were increasingly affected by the social and economic consequences of the pandemic for numerous reasons.” More caregiving and household responsibilities, as well as domestic violence in the lockdown, played an important role.
A first-of-its-kind meta-analysis
Researchers led by Damian Santomauro of the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research (QCMHR) emphasized that this is the first study to quantify the global impact of the crisis on mental disorders in 204 countries by age, gender, and location. Most research to date has focused on specific locations and a short time period, he said.
“The meta-analysis shows that increased rates of Covid-19 infection and decreased movement of people were associated with increased prevalence of major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders,” it concluded. This, he said, suggests that mental illnesses were particularly clustered in countries that were most affected by Corona
Policy makers are needed
The authors called on governments and policymakers to take urgent action to strengthen mental health systems worldwide to meet increased demand. Colleagues from the United Kingdom and Sweden echoed the call in a Lancet commentary. More research is urgently needed to improve mental health in the context of the pandemic worldwide, the experts said.
— source: kurier.at/picture: pixabay.com
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