ArticleCanadian journal of psychiatry. Revue canadienne de psychiatrie2021
Emerging New Psychiatric Symptoms and the Worsening of Pre-existing Mental Disorders during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Canadian Multisite Study: Nouveaux symptômes psychiatriques émergents et détérioration des troubles mentaux préexistants durant la pandémie de la COVID-19: une étude canadienne multisite.
Article in Canadian journal of psychiatry. Revue canadienne de psychiatrie, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 59 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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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
59 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 118 citations in OpenAlex.
- Access and use of general and mental health services before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMJ open · 2025Pooled it
- COVID-19 depression and its risk factors in Asia Pacific - A systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of affective disorders · 2022Pooled it
- Impact of pre-existing subclinical depressive symptoms on the mental health of older adults during the COVID-19-related confinements: assessment of moderating factors including meditation training.Scientific reports · 2025Trial
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- Prevalence and Correlates of Depressive Symptoms in Canada During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Based on 144 Studies Including 406,043 Participants: Prévalence et corrélats des symptômes dépressifs au Canada pendant la pandémie de COVID-19 : revue systématique et méta-analyse de 144 études comprenant 406 043 participants.Canadian journal of psychiatry. Revue canadienne de psychiatrie · 2026Review
- Reducing wait times for hospital-based outpatient mental healthcare: what works?BMJ open quality · 2026Article
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- Psychometric Properties of the COVID-19 Stress Scale in College Students.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Understanding the impact of COVID-19 on comorbid depression, anxiety and eating disorders in adolescent psychiatric inpatients: a network analysis.Child and adolescent psychiatry and mental health · 2025Article
- Psychosocial Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Brazilian Post-Peak Period: Differences Between Individuals with and Without Pre-Existing Psychiatric Conditions.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2024Article
- Machine Learning-Based Suicide Risk Prediction Model for Suicidal Trajectory on Social Media Following Suicidal Mentions: Independent Algorithm Validation.Journal of medical Internet research · 2024Article
- Depressive symptom trajectories among general population during the COVID-19 pandemic in Iceland: a prospective cohort study (2020-2023).BMJ public health · 2024Article
- [Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of patients with pre-existing psychopathology].Revista espanola de salud publica · 2024Observational
- Trends of perceived disruption in healthcare services during the pandemic: findings from the COVID-19 National Resilience Cohort in Iceland.European journal of public health · 2024Article
- Factors associated with change in moderate or severe symptoms of anxiety and depression in community-living adults and older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.Canadian journal of public health = Revue canadienne de sante publique · 2024Article
- Assessing the impact of COVID-19 on self-reported levels of depression during the pandemic relative to pre-pandemic among Canadian adults.Archives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique · 2024Article
- Clinical Outcome in Persons with Severe Mental Disorders Attending a Mental Health Day Center during the COVID-19 Pandemic.Journal of clinical medicine · 2024Article
- Emotions and behaviours of child and adolescent psychiatric patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.BJPsych open · 2024Article
- Effectiveness of the Wellness Together Canada Portal as a Digital Mental Health Intervention in Canada: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR research protocols · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
14 authors at 6 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused global disruptions with serious psychological impacts. This study investigated the emergence of new psychiatric symptoms and the worsening of pre-existing mental disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic, identified factors associated with psychological worsening, and assessed changes in mental health service use.
methodsAn online survey was circulated between April 3 and June 23, 2020. Respondents were asked to complete mental health questionnaires based on 2 time referents: currently (i.e., during the outbreak) and in the month preceding the outbreak. A total of 4,294 Canadians between 16 and 99 years of age were subdivided based on the presence of self-reported psychiatric diagnoses.
resultsThe proportion of respondents without prior psychiatric history who screened positive for generalized anxiety disorder and depression increased by 12% and 29%, respectively, during the outbreak. Occurrences of clinically important worsening in anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation symptoms relative to pre-outbreak estimates were significantly higher in those with psychiatric diagnoses. Furthermore, 15% to 19% of respondents reported increased alcohol or cannabis use. Worse psychological changes relative to pre-outbreak estimate were associated with female sex, younger age, lower income, poorer coping skills, multiple psychiatric comorbidities, previous trauma exposure, deteriorating physical health, poorer family relationships, and lower exercising. Reductions in mental health care were associated with increased suicidal ideation.
conclusionThe worsening in mental health symptoms and the decline in access to care call for the urgent development of adapted interventions targeting both new mental disorders and pre-existing psychiatric conditions affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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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.