ArticlePloS one2021
Impact of COVID-19 on mental health and quality of life: Is there any effect? A cross-sectional study of the MENA region.
Article in PloS one, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 68 papers.
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
68 citing papers in PubMed.
- Comparing the effect of individual and group cognitive-motor training on reconstructing subjective well-being and quality of life in older males, recovered from the COVID-19.Cognitive processing · 2023Trial
- The effectiveness of a proposed program to enhance social and emotional skills on developing psychological well-being (good condition) in UNRWA schools: Jalazone Basic Schools as a model.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Article
- Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Subjective Well-Being and Quality of Life: A Comprehensive Bibliometric and Thematic Analysis.Health care analysis : HCA : journal of health philosophy and policy · 2025Article
- The Impact of Prolonged Stress of COVID-19 Pandemic and Earthquakes on Internet-Based Addictive Behaviour and Quality of Life in Croatia.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Article
- Impact of Long COVID on Health-Related Quality of Life Among COVID-19 Survivors in Saudi Arabia.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Impact of emerging COVID-19 variants on psychosocial health: A systematic review.Journal of family medicine and primary care · 2025Review
- The impact of COVID-19 on quality of life among Lebanese adults: a cross-sectional study.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- The impact of COVID-19 stress on nurses' organizational deviance: A moderated mediation model.PloS one · 2025Article
- Unveiling Student Suicides in the Post-Pandemic Period: A Retrospective Analysis of Online News Portals in Bangladesh.Health science reports · 2024Article
- Psychological distress among students in Egypt and Jordan during the initial months of the Gaza war.BMC psychology · 2024Article
- Exploring Risk Perception, Mental Health, Mental Fatigue, Stigma, and the Quality of Life among UAE Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A National Multicentric Cross-Sectional Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2024Article
- The association of social media with dietary behaviors among adults in the United Arab Emirates.Heliyon · 2024Article
- Workforce estimate to treat mental disorders in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.Human resources for health · 2024Article
- Article
- Review
- Working from home and mental well-being at different stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.PloS one · 2024Article
- Short-Term and Long-Term Impact of COVID-19 on Quality of Life and Psychological Outcomes in Saudi Arabia: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study [Letter].Journal of multidisciplinary healthcare · 2024Article
- Incidence of feline idiopathic cystitis and urethral obstruction during COVID-19 human movement restrictions in Queensland, Australia.Journal of feline medicine and surgery · 2023Article
- Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the health-related quality of life of frontline workers: the case of seven low-income Eastern African countries.Health and quality of life outcomes · 2023Article
- Gender differences in sense of coherence among university students during the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey.Health promotion international · 2023Article
8 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
19 authors.
Funding
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic is a major health crisis that has changed the life of millions globally. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of the pandemic on mental health and quality of life among the general population in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. A total of 6142 adults from eighteen countries within the MENA region completed an online questionnaire between May and June 2020. Psychological impact was assessed using the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) and the social and family support impact was assessed with questions from the Perceived Support Scale (PSS). The IES-R mean score was 29.3 (SD = 14.8), corresponding to mild stressful impact with 30.9% reporting severe psychological impact. Most participants (45%-62%) felt horrified, apprehensive, or helpless due to COVID-19. Furthermore, over 40% reported increased stress from work and financial matters. Higher IES-R scores were found among females, participants aged 26-35 years, those with lower educational level, and participants residing in the North Africa region (p<0.005). About 42% reported receiving increased support from family members, 40.5% were paying more attention to their mental health, and over 40% reported spending more time resting since the pandemic started. The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with mild psychological impact while it also encouraged some positive impact on family support and mental health awareness among adults in the MENA region. Clinical interventions targeted towards vulnerable groups such as females and younger adults are needed.
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