Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34548373›Full record

SynthesisBMJ open2021

Anxiety and depression among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic umbrella review of the global evidence.

Ritin Fernandez, Nqobile Sikhosana, Heidi Green, Elizabeth J Halcomb, Rebekkah Middleton, Ibrahim Alananzeh, Stamatia Trakis, L Moxham

Open access · goldAbstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMJ open, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 63 papers, 9 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
63citing papers in PubMed, 9 pooled it
18.2field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

63 citing papers in PubMed, 9 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 141 citations in OpenAlex.

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3 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Ritin FernandezSchool of Nursing, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia ritin@uow.edu.au.ORCID 0000-0002-6143-7703
Nqobile SikhosanaSt George Hospital, South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, Kogarah, New South Wales, Australia.
Heidi GreenSt George Hospital, South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, Kogarah, New South Wales, Australia.
Elizabeth J HalcombSchool of Nursing, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-8099-986X
Rebekkah MiddletonSchool of Nursing, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia.
Ibrahim AlananzehSchool of Nursing, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia.
Stamatia TrakisSt George Hospital, South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, Kogarah, New South Wales, Australia.
L MoxhamSchool of Nursing, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia.
University of Wollongong · AUSt George Hospital · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesTo summarise the evidence relating to the prevalence of anxiety and depression among healthcare workers (HCWs) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

designAn umbrella review of systematic reviews was undertaken using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methods. DATA SOURCES: The Cochrane database of systematic reviews, JBI Evidence Synthesis, MEDLINE, Web of Science, PsycINFO, Embase and CINAHL were searched in March 2021 for reviews published in English. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Systematic reviews reporting the prevalence of anxiety and depression among HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Two researchers screened each abstract and independently reviewed full text articles. Study quality was assessed using the JBI critical appraisal tool for systematic reviews, and the degree of overlap in primary studies was calculated.

resultsTen systematic reviews (100 unique studies), including 169 157 HCWs from 35 countries were included. The prevalence of anxiety among all HCWs ranged from 22.2% (95% CI 21.3% to 23.1%) to 33.0% (95% CI 31.9% to 34.1%). The prevalence of anxiety among physicians (n=5820) was reported to be between 17% and 19.8% and for nurses (n=14 938) between 22.8% and 27%. The prevalence of depression among all HCWs ranged from 17.9% (95% CI 17.1% to 18.8%) to 36% (95% CI 34.9% to 37.1%). The prevalence of depression among physicians (n=643) and nurses (n=8063) was reported to be 40.4% and 28%, respectively.

conclusionsThere is wide variation evident in the presence of anxiety and depression among HCWs. In particular, the prevalence of depression among physicians was high. Strategies to reduce the incidence of anxiety and depression are urgently required. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42021238960.

Indexed as

COVID-19PandemicsAnxietyDepressionHealth PersonnelHumansSARS-CoV-2Systematic Reviews as Topicanxiety disordersCOVID-19medical education & trainingstatistics & research methods

Identifiers

PMID34548373
PMCPMC8458002
OpenAlexW3201149950

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.