OBJECTIVES : To identify the impact of COVID-19 on mental health in the US, Europe and Asia-Pacific, and understand the impact on various socio-economic groups.

METHODS : A literature review was conducted in December 2020 to identify the studies evaluating the impact of COVID-19 on mental health in the general population, those infected with COVID-19, and healthcare personnel (HCP). Searches were conducted in literature databases (MEDLINE and Embase) and grey literature sources.

RESULTS : Nineteen studies met the eligibility criteria. An Austrian study (Pieh 2020) reported that 21%, 19%, and 16% of the general population scored above the ≥ 10-point cut-off on PHQ-9, GAD-7, and ISI for moderate depression, moderate anxiety, and clinical insomnia symptoms, respectively. This is substantially higher than previous epidemiological data (ranging from 4–7%). A US study (Ballou 2020) evaluating the Pandemic Emotional Impact Scale (PEIS) on a nationally representative sample of 1500 adults found higher scores among young adults, women, Blacks, and Hispanic/LatinX – indicating greater anxiety, depression, and stress. In a sample of 100 COVID-19 patients discharged from a large university hospital in the UK (Halpin 2020), psychological distress was greater in those needing ICU care (46.9%) compared with those managed in wards (23.5%). Using PHQ-9, depression was highly prevalent (43.1%) in 770 clinically stable COVID-19 patients in China (Ma 2020) with mild, moderate, and severe depression prevalence of 24.5%, 12.1%, and 6.5%, respectively. Among 197 HCP evaluated in India (Suryavanshi 2020), the odds of combined depression and anxiety were 2.37 times higher among single HCP compared with married HCP (95% CI: 1.03–4.96); older HCP (>40) had lower odds of moderate to severe depression compared with the youngest group (OR: 0.39; 95%CI: 0.14–1.03).

CONCLUSIONS : COVID-19 presents a significant, global burden impacting the mental health; this warrants appropriate treatment and long-term assessment of the affected population.