IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v19y2022i15p9347-d876481.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Mental Health Consequences of COVID-19 Pandemic Period in the European Population: An Institutional Challenge

Author

Listed:
  • Nicola Di Fazio

    (Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Roma, Italy)

  • Donato Morena

    (Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Roma, Italy)

  • Giuseppe Delogu

    (Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Roma, Italy)

  • Gianpietro Volonnino

    (Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Roma, Italy)

  • Federico Manetti

    (Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Roma, Italy)

  • Martina Padovano

    (Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Roma, Italy)

  • Matteo Scopetti

    (Department of Medical Surgical Sciences and Translational Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00189 Roma, Italy)

  • Paola Frati

    (Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Roma, Italy)

  • Vittorio Fineschi

    (Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Roma, Italy)

Abstract

The worldwide spread of SARS-CoV-2 has been responsible for an infectious pandemic, with repercussions on socio-economic aspects and on the physical and mental health of the general population. The present systematic review aimed to evaluate the data belonging to the European framework, analyzing the population by age group. Original articles and reviews on the state of mental health of the general European population have been researched starting from 2021. Initially, a total of 1764 studies were found, among which a total of 75 were selected. Youth were the age group most affected by pandemic consequences on mental health, with emotional and behavioral alterations observed from a third to more than a half of children and adolescents examined. Among both adolescents and adults, the female gender had a higher prevalence of psychopathological symptoms. The main risk factors were poor social support, economic difficulties, and, in particular, unemployment or job changes. Additional individual risk factors were the perception of loneliness, the presence of pre-pandemic mental illness/distress, and some personality traits, such as neuroticism, impulsiveness, and the use of maladaptive coping strategies. Unexpectedly, the elderly maintained good resilience towards change, even if a stress factor was represented by the feeling of loneliness and poor social contact. As regards suicidal behaviors, among adolescents, there was an increase in attempts of 25%, with a greater risk for the female gender. This risk increased also among adults, in association with symptoms of anxiety and depression, and poor socio-environmental conditions. In conclusion, some population groups were found to be at greater risk of psychological burden during pandemic waves, thus representing priority targets for socio-health interventions.

Suggested Citation

  • Nicola Di Fazio & Donato Morena & Giuseppe Delogu & Gianpietro Volonnino & Federico Manetti & Martina Padovano & Matteo Scopetti & Paola Frati & Vittorio Fineschi, 2022. "Mental Health Consequences of COVID-19 Pandemic Period in the European Population: An Institutional Challenge," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-20, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:15:p:9347-:d:876481
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/15/9347/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/15/9347/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Cuiyan Wang & Riyu Pan & Xiaoyang Wan & Yilin Tan & Linkang Xu & Cyrus S. Ho & Roger C. Ho, 2020. "Immediate Psychological Responses and Associated Factors during the Initial Stage of the 2019 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Epidemic among the General Population in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(5), pages 1-25, March.
    2. Peter G van der Velden & Philip Hyland & Carlo Contino & Hans-Martin von Gaudecker & Ruud Muffels & Marcel Das, 2021. "Anxiety and depression symptoms, the recovery from symptoms, and loneliness before and after the COVID-19 outbreak among the general population: Findings from a Dutch population-based longitudinal stu," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(1), pages 1-17, January.
    3. Meichun Mohler-Kuo & Shota Dzemaili & Simon Foster & Laura Werlen & Susanne Walitza, 2021. "Stress and Mental Health among Children/Adolescents, Their Parents, and Young Adults during the First COVID-19 Lockdown in Switzerland," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(9), pages 1-17, April.
    4. Elizabeth A. K. Jones & Amal K. Mitra & Azad R. Bhuiyan, 2021. "Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Health in Adolescents: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-9, March.
    5. Theo G van Tilburg & Stephanie Steinmetz & Elske Stolte & Henriëtte van der Roest & Daniel H de Vries & Deborah Carr, 2021. "Loneliness and Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Study Among Dutch Older Adults," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 76(7), pages 249-255.
    6. Rosa M Cárdaba-García & Lucia Pérez Pérez & Virtudes Niño Martín & Inés Cárdaba-García & Carlos Durantez-Fernández & Elena Olea, 2021. "Evaluation of the Risk of Anxiety and/or Depression during Confinement Due to COVID-19 in Central Spain," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(11), pages 1-12, May.
    7. Pantell, M. & Rehkopf, D. & Jutte, D. & Syme, S.L. & Balmes, J. & Adler, N., 2013. "Social isolation: A predictor of mortality comparable to traditional clinical risk factors," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 103(11), pages 2056-2062.
    8. Eva-Maria Skoda & Alexander Bäuerle & Adam Schweda & Nora Dörrie & Venja Musche & Madeleine Hetkamp & Hannah Kohler & Martin Teufel & Benjamin Weismüller, 2021. "Severely increased generalized anxiety, but not COVID-19-related fear in individuals with mental illnesses: A population based cross-sectional study in Germany," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 67(5), pages 550-558, August.
    9. Francesca Mastorci & Luca Bastiani & Gabriele Trivellini & Cristina Doveri & Anselmo Casu & Marta Pozzi & Irene Marinaro & Cristina Vassalle & Alessandro Pingitore, 2021. "Well-Being Perception during COVID-19 Pandemic in Healthy Adolescents: From the Avatar Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(12), pages 1-10, June.
    10. Alessandro Liberati & Douglas G Altman & Jennifer Tetzlaff & Cynthia Mulrow & Peter C Gøtzsche & John P A Ioannidis & Mike Clarke & P J Devereaux & Jos Kleijnen & David Moher, 2009. "The PRISMA Statement for Reporting Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses of Studies That Evaluate Health Care Interventions: Explanation and Elaboration," PLOS Medicine, Public Library of Science, vol. 6(7), pages 1-28, July.
    11. Simon Marmet & Matthias Wicki & Gerhard Gmel & Céline Gachoud & Jean-Bernard Daeppen & Nicolas Bertholet & Joseph Studer, 2021. "The psychological impact of the COVID-19 crisis is higher among young Swiss men with a lower socioeconomic status: Evidence from a cohort study," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(7), pages 1-18, July.
    12. Eldad Davidov & Felix Depner, 2011. "Testing for measurement equivalence of human values across online and paper-and-pencil surveys," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 45(2), pages 375-390, February.
    13. Beyhan Ertanir & Wassilis Kassis & Ariana Garrote, 2021. "Longitudinal Changes in Swiss Adolescent’s Mental Health Outcomes from before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(23), pages 1-14, December.
    14. Jessica Burrai & Benedetta Barchielli & Clarissa Cricenti & Anna Borrelli & Sabina D’Amato & Massimo Santoro & Margherita Vitale & Stefano Ferracuti & Anna Maria Giannini & Alessandro Quaglieri, 2021. "Older Adolescents Who Did or Did Not Experience COVID-19 Symptoms: Associations with Mental Health, Risk Perception and Social Connection," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(9), pages 1-12, May.
    15. Jan Chodkiewicz & Joanna Miniszewska & Emilia Krajewska & Przemysław Biliński, 2021. "Mental Health during the Second Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic—Polish Studies," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(7), pages 1-12, March.
    16. Maria Gröndal & Karl Ask & Timothy J Luke & Stefan Winblad, 2021. "Self-reported impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, affective responding, and subjective well-being: A Swedish survey," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(10), pages 1-15, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Donato Morena & Nicola Di Fazio & Raffaele La Russa & Giuseppe Delogu & Paola Frati & Vittorio Fineschi & Stefano Ferracuti, 2022. "When COVID-19 Is Not All: Femicide Conducted by a Murderer with a Narcissistic Personality “Masked” by a Brief Psychotic Disorder, with a Mini-Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(22), pages 1-13, November.
    2. Jagjeet Singh & Lakshmi Babu Saheer & Oliver Faust, 2023. "Speech Emotion Recognition Using Attention Model," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(6), pages 1-21, March.
    3. Ghaith Salameh & Debbi Marais & Rawan Khoury, 2023. "Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Health among the Population in Jordan," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(14), pages 1-21, July.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Isabel Mercader Rubio & Pilar Sánchez-López & Nieves Gutiérrez Ángel & Nieves Fátima Oropesa Ruiz, 2022. "Psychological Consequences of Fear of COVID-19: Symptom Analysis of Triggered Anxiety and Depression Disorders in Adolescents and Young Adults," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-8, October.
    2. Rosa Bosch & Mireia Pagerols & Raquel Prat & Gemma Español-Martín & Cristina Rivas & Montserrat Dolz & Josep Maria Haro & Josep Antoni Ramos-Quiroga & Marta Ribasés & Miquel Casas, 2022. "Changes in the Mental Health of Children and Adolescents during the COVID-19 Lockdown: Associated Factors and Life Conditions," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(7), pages 1-17, March.
    3. Fang-Yi Tsai & Hannah Schillok & Michaela Coenen & Christina Merkel & Caroline Jung-Sievers & on behalf of the COSMO Study Group, 2022. "The Well-Being of the German Adult Population Measured with the WHO-5 over Different Phases of the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Analysis within the COVID-19 Snapshot Monitoring Study (COSMO)," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(6), pages 1-27, March.
    4. Latikka, Rita & Koivula, Aki & Oksa, Reetta & Savela, Nina & Oksanen, Atte, 2022. "Loneliness and psychological distress before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: Relationships with social media identity bubbles," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 293(C).
    5. Stéphanie Bourion-Bédès & Hélène Rousseau & Martine Batt & Pascale Tarquinio & Romain Lebreuilly & Christine Sorsana & Karine Legrand & Rabah Machane & Cyril Tarquinio & Cédric Baumann, 2022. "Mental Health Status of French School-Aged Children’s Parents during the COVID-19 Lockdown and Its Associated Factors," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(17), pages 1-13, September.
    6. Ricarda Steinmayr & Patrick Paschke & Linda Wirthwein, 2022. "Elementary School Students’ Subjective Well-Being Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Longitudinal Study," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(6), pages 2985-3005, August.
    7. Daniel Deimel & Christine Firk & Heino Stöver & Nicolas Hees & Norbert Scherbaum & Simon Fleißner, 2022. "Substance Use and Mental Health during the First COVID-19 Lockdown in Germany: Results of a Cross-Sectional Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-15, October.
    8. Beyhan Ertanir & Wassilis Kassis & Ariana Garrote, 2021. "Longitudinal Changes in Swiss Adolescent’s Mental Health Outcomes from before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(23), pages 1-14, December.
    9. Heba Jafar Sabbagh & Wafaa Abdelaziz & Waleed Alghamdi & Maryam Quritum & Nada AbuBakr AlKhateeb & Joud Abourdan & Nafeesa Qureshi & Shabnum Qureshi & Ahmed H. N. Hamoud & Nada Mahmoud & Ruba Odeh & N, 2022. "Anxiety among Adolescents and Young Adults during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Multi-Country Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(17), pages 1-14, August.
    10. Małgorzata Stefańska & Reninka De Koker & Jeroen Vos & Eveline De Wachter & Agnieszka Dębiec-Bąk & Agnieszka Ptak, 2023. "Assessment of the Level of Physical Activity and Mood in Students after a Year of Study in a Mixed Mode in the Conditions of Restrictions Resulting from the Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-13, February.
    11. Rute Brites & Mauro Paulino & Sofia Brissos & Sofia Gabriel & Laura Alho & Mário R. Simões & Carlos F. Silva, 2023. "Initial Psychological Reactions to COVID-19 of Middle Adolescents in Portugal," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(9), pages 1-12, May.
    12. Wnuk, Anna & Oleksy, Tomasz & Gambin, Małgorzata & Woźniak-Prus, Małgorzata & Łyś, Agnieszka & Holas, Paweł, 2023. "Collective action mitigates the negative effects of COVID-19 threat and anti-abortion restrictions on mental health," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 335(C).
    13. Nóra Kerekes & Kourosh Bador & Anis Sfendla & Mohjat Belaatar & Abdennour El Mzadi & Vladimir Jovic & Rade Damjanovic & Maria Erlandsson & Hang Thi Minh Nguyen & Nguyet Thi Anh Nguyen & Scott F. Ulber, 2021. "Changes in Adolescents’ Psychosocial Functioning and Well-Being as a Consequence of Long-Term COVID-19 Restrictions," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(16), pages 1-22, August.
    14. Jung-In Yoo & Joung-Kyue Han & Hyun-Su Youn & Joo-Hyug Jung, 2021. "Comparison of Health Awareness in South Korean Middle School Students According to Type of Online Physical Education Classes during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(15), pages 1-10, July.
    15. Yun-Ming Tang & Tsung-Lin Wu & Hsiang-Te Liu, 2023. "Causal Model Analysis of the Effect of Formalism, Fear of Infection, COVID-19 Stress on Firefighters’ Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome and Insomnia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(2), pages 1-15, January.
    16. Seung-Man Lee & Jung-In Yoo & Hyun-Su Youn, 2021. "Changes in Alienation in Physical Education Classes, School Happiness, and Expectations of a Future Healthy Life after the COVID-19 Pandemic in Korean Adolescents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(20), pages 1-11, October.
    17. Elizabeth T Cafiero-Fonseca & Andrew Stawasz & Sydney T Johnson & Reiko Sato & David E Bloom, 2017. "The full benefits of adult pneumococcal vaccination: A systematic review," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(10), pages 1-23, October.
    18. Ludoviko Zirimenya & Fatima Mahmud-Ajeigbe & Ruth McQuillan & You Li, 2020. "A systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the association between urogenital schistosomiasis and HIV/AIDS infection," PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(6), pages 1-13, June.
    19. J. Pierre Zila-Velasque & Pamela Grados-Espinoza & Naomi Coba-Villan & Jocelyn Quispe-Chamorro & Yesenia F. Taipe-Guillén & Estefany Pacheco & Laura Ccasa-Valero & Virgilio E. Failoc-Rojas & Cristian , 2022. "Mental Disorders and Level of Resilience in Eight High-Altitude Cities of Peru during the Second Pandemic Wave: A Multicenter Population-Based Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(1), pages 1-19, December.
    20. Hee-Kyung Kim, 2022. "In the COVID-19 Era, Effects of Job Stress, Coping Strategies, Meaning in Life and Resilience on Psychological Well-Being of Women Workers in the Service Sector," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(16), pages 1-15, August.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:15:p:9347-:d:876481. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.