Psychological effects of lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic in the year 2020: A systematic review

Abstract

The aim was to systematically review studies on the psychological impact of confinement by Covid-19 on the general Spanish population and health professionals in the first year of the pandemic. The review includes the 18 studies published between January and December 2020. Findings indicate that the psychological impact increases as confinement progresses, with percentages of affectation ranging from 3-30% in anxiety symptoms (37-72% in healthcare professionals), 6-57% in depressive symptoms (27-61% in healthcare professionals), 2-40% in symptoms of stress (14-47% in healthcare professionals), 15-20% in symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress (15.8% in healthcare professionals), 12-53% in sleep problems (29% in healthcare professionals), and 9-37% in feelings of loneliness. The groups at risk identified are women, young people, the unemployed and people with previous mental health problems. The Covid-19 has had important repercussions on the mental health of the general Spanish population and health professionals, and it is necessary to establish assessment and intervention protocols that allow the detection and intervention on the affected population after confinement and during future confinements.