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Table 3 Results of main and sensitivity analyses in three populations

From: Mental burden and its risk and protective factors during the early phase of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: systematic review and meta-analyses

Outcome

Studies (samples)

N (pandemic)

N (comp.)

Standardized mean difference (95% CI)

I2

95% prediction intervala

Main analyses

General population

 Anxiety

23 (26)

49,746

132,145

0.40 (0.15–0.65)

99%

− 0.87–1.67

 Depression

25 (28)

60,213

183,747

0.67 (0.07–1.27)

100%

−2.02–3.36

 Stress

11 (13)

11,600

67,386

0.10 (−0.30–0.50)

100%

−1.39–1.60

 Sleep-related symptoms

4 (4)

3332

7635

0.74 (−1.47–2.96)

100%

−3.68–5.17

Healthcare workers

 Anxiety

13 (14)

5508

22,204

−0.08 (−0.66–0.49)

99%

−1.75–1.58

 Depression

7 (8)

2226

4605

−0.16 (− 0.59–0.26)

97%

−1.41–1.09

 Stress

3 (3)

1570

2454

0.49 (−0.60–1.57)

99%

/

 Sleep-related symptoms

4 (5)

554

20,024

0.83 (−0.14–1.81)

99%

−1.54–3.21

Patients

 Anxiety

6 (6)

1845

12,458

0.31 (−0.07, 0.69)

93%

−1.08–1.69

 Depression

7 (7)

2138

24,444

0.48 (−0.08–1.04)

98%

−1.58–2.53

 Stress

4 (4)

435

10,061

−0.10 (− 0.81–0.61)

98%

−3.54–3.34

 Sleep-related symptoms

2 (2)

127

298

−0.61 (−1.75–0.54)

96%

/

Sensitivity analysis – Quality of included pandemic studies (ie, exclusion of poor-quality studies)

General population

 Anxiety

16 (17)

38,323

81,350

0.53 (0.19–0.86)

100%

−0.90–1.95

 Depression

18 (19)

48,790

136,884

0.83 (0.09–1.57)

100%

−2.17–3.82

 Stress

7 (8)

9110

43,747

0.33 (−0.19–0.84)

100%

−1.20–1.85

 Sleep-related symptoms

3 (3)

2659

6622

0.80 (−1.34–2.94)

100%

/

Healthcare workers

 Anxiety

4 (4)

1655

4124

−0.18 (−0.78–0.41)

97%

−1.30–0.94

 Depression

4 (4)

1655

2356

0.03 (−0.42–0.47)

90%

−0.73–0.79

 Stress

2 (2)

1376

1872

−0.05 (− 0.37–0.26)

95%

/

 Sleep-related symptoms

1 (1)

123

4951

−0.03 (− 0.21–0.15)

/

/

Patients

 Anxiety

3 (3)

1461

11,116

0.45 (−0.10–1.01)

92%

/

 Depression

3 (3)

1461

21,934

0.21 (−1.08–1.49)

99%

/

 Stress

1 (1)

51

51

0.18 (−0.21–0.57)

/

/

 Sleep-related symptoms

1 (1)

51

207

−0.03 (− 0.33–0.28)

/

/

Sensitivity analysis – Level of comparability between included pandemic studies and comparative studies (ie, exclusion of level-3 and level-4 studies)

General population

 Anxiety

12 (13)

38,461

32,698

0.40 (0.06–0.74)

99%

−0.77–1.57

 Depression

14 (15)

38,259

78,619

0.77 (−0.23–1.77)

100%

−2.72–4.25

 Stress

7 (8)

8624

12,739

−0.15 (− 0.76–0.46)

99%

−1.84–1.53

 Sleep-related symptoms

2 (2)

2550

5609

1.54 (−1.18–4.27)

100%

/

Healthcare workers

 Anxiety

7 (8)

3147

9511

−0.54 (−1.23–0.15)

99%

−2.11–1.03

 Depression

4 (5)

546

2576

−0.38 (−1.56–0.79)

98%

−2.60–1.84

 Stress

/

/

/

/

/

/

 Sleep-related symptoms

3 (4)

423

19,804

1.01 (−0.17–2.18)

99%

−1.61–3.63

Patients

 Anxiety

4 (4)

1616

3184

0.23 (−0.33–0.79)

92%

−2.47–2.93

 Depression

4 (4)

1704

3205

0 (−0.56–0.56)

93%

−2.69–2.70

 Stress

2 (2)

127

217

0.15 (−0.08–0.37)

0%

/

 Sleep-related symptoms

2 (2)

127

298

−0.61 (−1.75–0.54)

96%

/

  1. Abbreviations: CI confidence interval, comp. comparative studies, I2 heterogeneity, N sample size, pandemic included pandemic studies
  2. a 95% prediction interval only calculated for meta-analyses with at least k = 4 studies