Estimation of the Prevalence of Anxiety During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Meta-analysis of Meta-analyses

Background: Pandemics such as COVID-19, can lead to psychiatric symptoms like anxiety. It seems that meta-analysis of meta-analysis studies can provide more comprehensive information regarding the needs for post-COVID-19 services. Therefore, this umbrella review and meta-analysis of meta-analyses aimed to estimate the precise prevalence of anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched for published meta-analyses using relevant keywords, such as Anxiety, Prevalence, COVID-19, and Meta-analysis up to November 1, 2023. Google Scholar, reference check, citation check, and grey literature were manually searched. A random-effect model was used for the analysis. All analyses were conducted using STATA: 17.

Results: Out of the 4263 records, Finally, 75 meta-analyses were included. The overall prevalence of anxiety was 30.4% [95% CI: 29-31.8] with a high heterogeneity (I: 86.76%). The highest prevalence of anxiety according to population type was 41.3% in patients and then in students (30.8), pregnant women (30.6%), and health care workers (30.5%). The Result of meta-regression showed that "Time" (based on the time between the start of COVID-19 and the last search date in articles) was not a significant predictor of the prevalence of anxiety (R Coefficient = 0.000149, P = 0.61).

Conclusions: Considering the prevalence of anxiety among patients, students, pregnant women, and healthcare workers, special attention should be paid to these groups in case of the re-occurrence of COVID-19 or occurrence of other pandemics. As quarantine due to pandemics causes reduced social interactions, reduced income, and increased worry about severe illness and death, there is a need for large-scale mobilization of political measures.