Global prevalence and burden of depressive and anxiety disorders in 204 countries and territories in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Summary & key facts

This study reviewed surveys and used global models to measure how the COVID-19 pandemic changed rates of major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders in 2020. It found that places with higher COVID-19 infection rates and bigger drops in movement had larger increases in these disorders. The authors estimate about 53.2 million extra cases of major depressive disorder and 76.2 million extra cases of anxiety disorders in 2020, that women and younger people were more affected, and that the pandemic added many years lived with disability. The paper concludes that mental health systems need stronger responses to this added burden.

Key facts:

• The researchers screened 5,683 data sources and included 48 studies that met their rules (46 studies for major depressive disorder and 27 for anxiety disorders).
• They estimated an additional 53.2 million cases of major depressive disorder in 2020 due to the pandemic (95% uncertainty interval 44.8 to 62.9), a 27.6% increase (95% UI 25.1 to 30.3).
• Total prevalence of major depressive disorder in 2020 was estimated at 3,152.9 cases per 100,000 people (95% UI 2,722.5 to 3,654.5).
• They estimated an additional 76.2 million cases of anxiety disorders in 2020 due to the pandemic (95% UI 64.3 to 90.6), a 25.6% increase (95% UI 23.2 to 28.0).
• Total prevalence of anxiety disorders in 2020 was estimated at 4,802.4 cases per 100,000 people (95% UI 4,108.2 to 5,588.6).
• Major depressive disorder caused an estimated 49.4 million disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) in 2020 (95% UI 33.6 to 68.7); anxiety disorders caused an estimated 44.5 million DALYs (95% UI 30.2 to 62.5).
• In their statistical model, two COVID-19 impact indicators were associated with increased prevalence: reductions in human mobility (regression coefficient B=0.9 for both disorders; 95% UIs 0.1 to 1.8 for depression and 0.1 to 1.7 for anxiet
• The study found females had larger increases than males (B=0.1, 95% UI 0.1 to 0.2 for both disorders) and younger age groups had larger increases than older groups (age coefficient –0.007 for depression [95% UI –0.009 to –0.006]; –0.003 for
• The data came from surveys published between Jan 1, 2020 and Jan 29, 2021 and were combined with Global Burden of Disease methods (using DisMod‑MR 2.1) to estimate prevalence and burden by age, sex, and location.

Abstract

Before 2020, mental disorders were leading causes of the global health-related burden, with depressive and anxiety disorders being leading contributors to this burden. The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has created an environment where many ...

Topics

COVID-19 and Mental Health Health disparities and outcomes Long-Term Effects of COVID-19

Categories

Clinical Psychology Psychology Social Sciences

Tags

Anxiety Cognition Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Depression (economics) Disease Disease burden Economics Environmental health Global health Infectious disease (medical specialty) Macroeconomics Major depressive disorder Medicine Mental health Nursing Pandemic Pathology Population Psychiatry Public health