Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40468953›Full record

ArticleEuropean psychiatry : the journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists2025

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental and psychosocial functioning, quality of life, and recovery in adults with severe mental illness: Findings from Dutch longitudinal cohorts.

Lotte van Rijn, Wilma E Swildens, Margot J Metz, Daphne Everaerd, Tinca Polderman, Wiepke Cahn, Arnt F A Schellekens, Josjan Zijlmans, Janneke R Zinkstok

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in European psychiatry : the journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
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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

9 authors.

Lotte van RijnDepartment of Psychiatry, Brain Center, https://ror.org/0575yy874University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.ORCID 0009-0003-1576-5081
Wilma E Swildenshttps://ror.org/050jqep38Altrecht, Institute for Mental Health Care, Utrecht, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-3910-8767
Margot J Metzhttps://ror.org/02b9h9j24GGz Breburg, Institute for Mental Health Care, Tilburg, The Netherlands.
Daphne EveraerdDepartment of Psychiatry, https://ror.org/05wg1m734Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-4516-2874
Tinca PoldermanDepartment of child and Adolescent Psychiatry & Psychosocial Care, Amsterdam Public Health, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0001-5564-301X
Wiepke CahnDepartment of Psychiatry, Brain Center, https://ror.org/0575yy874University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-0482-8759
Arnt F A SchellekensDepartment of Psychiatry, https://ror.org/05wg1m734Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Josjan ZijlmansDepartment of child and Adolescent Psychiatry & Psychosocial Care, Amsterdam Public Health, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-4057-8440
Janneke R ZinkstokDepartment of Psychiatry, Brain Center, https://ror.org/0575yy874University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-5580-1898

Funding

ZonMw F-113060
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted global mental health, with individuals with severe mental illness (SMI) being particularly vulnerable. Research on changes in psychiatric symptoms during this pandemic has yielded inconsistent results, often due to individual heterogeneity and a limited focus on broader outcomes such as psychosocial functioning, societal and personal recovery, and quality of life (QoL). Furthermore, long-term effects remain underexplored. This longitudinal cohort study aimed to assess the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on mental and psychosocial functioning, QoL, and recovery in individuals with SMI, and to explore individual and treatment characteristics associated with outcome changes.

methodsTwo cohorts were included, involving adults (≥18 years) diagnosed with DSM-5 disorders and experiencing long-term impairments. Participants received care between January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2023. Outcomes included the Health of the Nation Outcome Scales, the Manchester Short Assessment of Quality of Life, and the Individual Recovery Outcomes Counter. Changes were analyzed across five pandemic periods using linear mixed models.

resultsImprovements in mental and psychosocial functioning, QoL, and recovery were observed over time, regardless of the COVID-19 pandemic period. However, progress was slower during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to pre-pandemic levels. No individual or treatment characteristics were significantly linked to changes in outcomes.

conclusionThe findings suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic had a minimal negative impact on individuals with SMI. This may be due to the marginal negative effects of the pandemic on this population, or the mitigating role of stabilizing factors within the current Dutch care models.

Indexed as

COVID-19Mental DisordersPsychosocial FunctioningQuality of LifeAdultAgedFemaleHumansLongitudinal StudiesMaleMiddle AgedNetherlandsSARS-CoV-2COVID-19 pandemicpsychosocial functioningquality of life (QoL)recoverysevere mental illness

Identifiers

PMID40468953
PMCPMC12188337

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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.