SynthesisEpidemiology and health2020
Mental health outcomes of quarantine and isolation for infection prevention: a systematic umbrella review of the global evidence.
Synthesis in Epidemiology and health, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 329 papers, 9 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
329 citing papers in PubMed, 9 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 637 citations in OpenAlex.
- The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and school closures on self-harming and suicidal behaviors in adolescents: A comprehensive meta-analysis.Suicide & life-threatening behavior · 2025Pooled it
- Communication to promote and support physical distancing for COVID-19 prevention and control: a rapid reviewThe Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2023Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Why is advance care planning underused in oncology settings? A systematic overview of reviews to identify the benefits, barriers, enablers, and interventions to improve uptake.Frontiers in oncology · 2023Pooled it
- Prevalence and factors associated with depression, anxiety and stress in Malaysia during COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review.PloS one · 2023Pooled it
- Global burden of mental health problems among children and adolescents during COVID-19 pandemic: An umbrella review.Psychiatry research · 2022Pooled it
- Psychological impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on individuals living with multiple sclerosis: A rapid systematic review.Multiple sclerosis and related disorders · 2022Pooled it
- Impact of COVID-19 pandemic lockdown on movement behaviours of children and adolescents: a systematic review.BMJ global health · 2022Pooled it
- COVID-19 pandemic: health impact of staying at home, social distancing and 'lockdown' measures-a systematic review of systematic reviews.Journal of public health (Oxford, England) · 2021Pooled it
- Move, connect and go outside! A randomized controlled trial of two online interventions and analysis of helpful coping strategies in COVID-19 "homestayers".Applied psychology. Health and well-being · 2025Trial
- Impact of Synchronous Online Physical Education Classes Using Tabata Training on Adolescents during COVID-19: A Randomized Controlled Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Trial
- Association between influenza A virus and SARS-CoV-2 infections and mood disorders.Brain, behavior, & immunity - health · 2026Article
- Sustained mental health impacts of COVID-19 among people living with and without HIV in the Dominican Republic.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Understanding recent dynamics: prosperity and longevity in Ghana.Health economics review · 2026Article
- Mental Health and Alcohol Consumption Among University Students in the Post-Pandemic Context: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Study in Portugal.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Analysis on suicide risk in medical students, an analysis based on socio-formative conceptual mapping.Frontiers in public health · 2026Review
- Article
- Association between isolation room admission in intensive care units and long-term psychiatric disorders: a nationwide cohort study.Critical care (London, England) · 2025Article
- Psychological distress across the deployment cycle: comparing pre- and peri-pandemic trajectories.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Changes in Drug-Induced Hospitalisations and Deaths During the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Australia.Drug and alcohol review · 2025Article
269 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesTransmission of infectious diseases is often prevented by quarantine and isolation of the populations at risk. These approaches restrict the mobility, social interactions, and daily activities of the affected individuals. In recent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, quarantine and isolation are being adopted in many contexts, which necessitates an evaluation of global evidence on how such measures impact the mental health outcomes among populations. This umbrella review aimed to synthesize the available evidence on mental health outcomes of quarantine and isolation for preventing infectious diseases.
methodsWe searched nine major databases and additional sources and included articles if they were systematically conducted reviews, published as peer-reviewed journal articles, and reported mental health outcomes of quarantine or isolation in any population.
resultsAmong 1,364 citations, only eight reviews met our criteria. Most of the primary studies in those reviews were conducted in high-income nations and in hospital settings. These articles reported a high burden of mental health problems among patients, informal caregivers, and healthcare providers who experienced quarantine or isolation. Prevalent mental health problems among the affected individuals include depression, anxiety, mood disorders, psychological distress, posttraumatic stress disorder, insomnia, fear, stigmatization, low self-esteem, lack of self-control, and other adverse mental health outcomes.
conclusionsThis umbrella review found severe mental health problems among individuals and populations who have undergone quarantine and isolation in different contexts. This evidence necessitates multipronged interventions including policy measures for strengthening mental health services globally and promoting psychosocial wellbeing among high-risk populations.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.