Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Anxiety and Depression Disorders in Medical Students: A systematic review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v14i12.50228Keywords:
Anxiety, COVID-19, Depression, Pandemic, Students.Abstract
This review addresses the psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, with an emphasis on anxiety and depression disorders. In this context, the research highlights that the pandemic generated a significant increase in stress, resulting in higher levels of anxiety and depression in the Brazilian population. Objectives: based on a systematic literature review, the study aims to analyze existing evidence on how the pandemic affected mental health, identifying factors associated with the increase in these disorders. The authors discuss the prevalence of symptoms of anxiety and depression, as well as the impact of social isolation, financial difficulties, and grief, which intensified these conditions. Methodology: the research includes a rigorous methodology, considering criteria for inclusion and exclusion of studies, and uses recognized databases to ensure the quality of the evidence. Results: the results of this systematic review aim to contribute to the understanding of the impact of the pandemic on mental health, providing support for the formulation of new strategies for managing mental disorders within the context of the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS). In addition, the work intends to serve as a reference source for future studies in the field of mental health, with the purpose of improving the diagnosis and treatment of psychological conditions exacerbated by the health crisis.
References
Abraham, A., Jithesh, A., Doraiswamy, S., Al-Khawaga, N., Mamtani, R., & Cheema, S. (2021). Telemental health use in the COVID-19 pandemic: A scoping review and evidence gap mapping. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12, 748069. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.748069
American Psychiatric Association. (2019). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.
Barros, M. B. A., et al. (2020). Relato de tristeza/depressão, nervosismo/ansiedade e problemas de sono na população adulta brasileira durante a pandemia de COVID-19. Epidemiologia e Serviços de Saúde, 29(4), e2020407. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1679-49742020000400011
Bughrara, M. S., Swanberg, S. M., Lucia, V. C., Schmitz, K., Jung, D., & Wunderlich-Barillas, T. (2023). Beyond COVID-19: The impact of recent pandemics on medical students and their education: A scoping review. Medical Education Online, 28(1), 2139657. https://doi.org/10.1080/10872981.2022.2139657
Brasil. Ministério da Saúde. (2020). Saúde mental e a pandemia da COVID-19: Orientações e estratégias para os profissionais de saúde. Brasília, DF: Ministério da Saúde.
Caldas, P. M. (2020). Impactos psicológicos da COVID-19 entre profissionais de saúde: Desafios e intervenções. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 20265. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.02065
Caldas, P. M., & Pedro, J. V. (2023). Ansiedade e depressão entre trabalhadores de saúde durante a pandemia de COVID-19. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12, 2010185. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.10185
Dalgalarrondo, P. (2019). Psicopatologia e semiologia dos transtornos mentais. Porto Alegre, RS: Grupo A.
Goularte, J. F., Serafim, S. D., Colombo, R., Hogg, B., Caldieraro, M. A., & Rosa, A. R. (2021). COVID-19 and mental health in Brazil: Psychiatric symptoms in the general population. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 132, 32–37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.09.021
Jhajj, S., Kaur, P., Jhajj, P., Ramadan, A., Jain, P., Upadhyay, S., & Jain, R. (2022). Impact of COVID-19 on medical students around the globe. Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives, 12(4), Article 1. https://doi.org/10.55729/2000-9666.1082
Kaul, V., De Moraes, A. G., Khateeb, D., Greenstein, Y., Winter, G., Chae, J., Stewart, N. H., Qadir, N., & Dangayach, N. S. (2021). Medical education during the COVID-19 pandemic. Chest, 159(5), 1949–1960. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chest.2020.12.026
Keller, R., & Howe, S. R. (2024). Desafios enfrentados por grupos em situação de vulnerabilidade social durante a crise de COVID-19. Medicina del Lavoro, 105, 163–173.
Lima, J. K. A., Barbosa, L. A. O., Avena, K. de M., & Brito, A. P. A. de. (2023). Impacto da pandemia de COVID-19 na prevalência de transtornos mentais comuns entre estudantes de Medicina. Jornal Brasileiro de Psiquiatria, 72(4), 213–220. https://doi.org/10.1590/0047-2085000000430
Lin, Y.-K., Saragih, I. D., Lin, C.-J., Liu, H.-L., Chen, C.-W., & Yeh, Y.-S. (2024). Global prevalence of anxiety and depression among medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Psychology, 12, 338. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-024-01838-y
Morabia, A., et al. (2022). Acesso a serviços de saúde e doenças crônicas durante a pandemia de COVID-19. World Psychiatry, 14, 354–357. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.20255
Muscat, R., Smolen, D., & Ross, K. (2023). Desigualdades no acesso à saúde e suporte social em comunidades de baixa renda. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 49, 1411–1422. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2012.07.003
Paz, D. C., Bains, M. S., Zueger, M. L., Bandi, V. R., Kuo, V. Y., Cook, K., & Ryznar, R. (2022). COVID-19 and mental health: A systematic review of international medical student surveys. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 1028559. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1028559
Pereira, A. S. et al. (2018). Metodologia da pesquisa científica. [free ebook]. Santa Maria. Editora da UFSM.
Higgins, J. P. T., Thomas, J., Chandler, J., Cumpston, M., Li, T., Page, M. J., et al. (2022). Cochrane handbook for systematic reviews of interventions (Version 6.3, updated February 2022) [Internet]. Chichester, UK: Cochrane. Retrieved November 9, 2022, from http://www.training.cochrane.org/handbook
Santomauro, D. F., et al. (2021). Global prevalence and burden of depressive and anxiety disorders in 204 countries and territories in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Lancet, 398(10312), 1700–1712.
Silva, N. H. L. P. da, Ottolia, R. F., Marques, L. G., & Antúnez, A. E. A. (2022). Use of digital technologies in mental health during COVID-19. Estudos de Psicologia (Campinas), 39, e200225. https://doi.org/10.1590/1982-0275202239e200225
Siemiaticki, G., Bal, M., & Dantas, L. (2021). Saúde mental dos idosos durante a pandemia de COVID-19: Uma revisão de literatura. Journal of Affective Disorders, 283, 123–129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2021.01.050
Snyder, H. (2019). Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 104, 333–339. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JBUSRES.2019.07.039.
Soeiro, A. (2020). Covid-19: Temas essenciais. Barueri, SP: Editora Manole.
To, W.-M., & Lee, P. K. C. (2023). mHealth and COVID-19: A bibliometric study. Healthcare, 11(8), 1163. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11081163
Wang, W., Li, G., & Lei, J. (2024). The impact of COVID-19 on medical students. GMS Journal for Medical Education, 41(1).
World Health Organization. (2022). Mental health and COVID-19: Early evidence of the pandemic’s impact: Scientific brief, 2 March 2022. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-2019-nCoV-Sci_Brief-Mental_health-2022.1
Wilson, K. H., Bhatt, N., & Gentile, J. P. (2023). Medical student-patients: Mental wellness during the pandemic. Innovations in Clinical Neuroscience, 20(4–6), 34–38.
World Health Organization. (2021). Mental health and COVID-19: Addressing the unmet needs in psychosocial support. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/mental_health
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Júlio César Fernandes Garrido, Vitória Miranda Alves, Jonabeto Vasconcelos Costa
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
1) Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
2) Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
3) Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
