COVID-19 depression and its risk factors in Asia Pacific - A systematic review and meta-analysis
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2-1-2022
Abstract
Background: This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to synthesize the extant literature reporting the effects of COVID-19 pandemic based on the pooled prevalence of depression among affected populations in Asia Pacific, as well as its risk factors. Method: A systematic review and meta-analysis approach was adopted as per the PRISMA guidelines, targeting articles published in PubMed, Google Scholar and Scopus from January 2021 to March 30, 2021. The screening resulted in 82 papers. Results: The overall pooled depression prevalence among 201,953 respondents was 34% (95%CI, 29-38, 99.7%), with no significant differences observed between the cohorts, timelines, and regions (p > 0.05). Dominant risk factors found were fear of COVID-19 infection (13%), gender (i.e., females; 12%) and deterioration of underlying medical conditions (8.3%), regardless of the sub-groups. Specifically, fear of COVID-19 infection was the most reported risk factor among general population (k = 14) and healthcare workers (k 8). Gender (k = 7) and increased workload (k = 7) were reported among healthcare workers whereas education disruption among students (k = 7). Limitation: The review is limited to articles published in three electronic databases. Conclusion The pandemic has caused depression among the populations across Asia Pacific, specifically among the general population, healthcare workers and students. Immediate attention and interventions from the concerned authorities are needed in addressing this issue.
Keywords
COVID-19, Depression, Asia Pacific, Systematic review, Meta-analysis
Divisions
fac_med
Publication Title
Journal of Affective Disorders
Volume
298
Issue
B
Publisher
Elsevier
Publisher Location
RADARWEG 29, 1043 NX AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS