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Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Interventions to Mitigate COVID-19 Related Mental Health Problems: A Systematic Review of Reviews

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 July 2023

Charlie Steen ,
Andrea Willems ,
Lise Stene ,
David Nieuwe Weme  and
Michel Dückers
Charlie Steen
Affiliation:
ARQ Centre of Expertise for the Impact of Disasters and Crises, Diemen, Netherlands
Andrea Willems
Affiliation:
ARQ Centre of Expertise for the Impact of Disasters and Crises, Diemen, Netherlands
Lise Stene
Affiliation:
Norwegian Centre for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies, Oslo, Norway
David Nieuwe Weme
Affiliation:
ARQ International, Diemen, Netherlands
Michel Dückers
Affiliation:
ARQ Centre of Expertise for the Impact of Disasters and Crises, Diemen, Netherlands Nivel-Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research, Utrecht, Netherlands
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Abstract

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Introduction:

The COVID-19 pandemic and the measures taken to contain it, have had a substantial effect on mental health of populations worldwide. Uncertainties about the future and one’s own health, as well as restrictive measures drastically altered people’s lives. To anticipate and mitigate the probable mental health impact, mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) interventions have been recommended and implemented. The objective of this systematic review is to provide an overview of different types of MHPSS interventions and the quality of the scientific evidence in the context of a pandemic.

Method:

A systematic search of interventions for reducing mental health problems or risks due to the COVID-19 pandemic was performed in November 2021 and repeated for new records in August 2022. APA PsycInfo, Embase, Ovid MEDLINE(R) ALL, EBM Reviews and Web of Science databases were systematically searched for relevant articles. The methodological quality of selected articles was assessed using the NHLBI Quality Assessment Tool for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses.

Results:

A summary of the content and quality of MHPSS interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic is provided. The interventions could be clustered predominantly into existing MHPSS categories of “Basic aid”, “Information”, “Emotional and social support”, “Practical support” and “Health care”. Nevertheless, the evidence supporting the applicability and the effectiveness of such measures is limited when it comes to the mitigation of mental health problems.

Conclusion:

The clustered overview of different COVID-19 interventions points at strong similarities with interventions in general evidence-based MHPSS guidelines. However, there is a need to integrate more systematic monitoring, evaluation and research to appraise the applicability and effectiveness of MHPSS measures in future pandemics and other crises.

Type
Lightning and Oral Presentations
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 38 , Supplement S1: 22nd Congress on Disaster and Emergency Medicine , May 2023 , pp. s119 - s120
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine