Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-pjpqr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-05T16:18:29.590Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Mental Health Impacts of Quarantine: Insights from the COVID-19 International Border Surveillance Study in Toronto, Canada

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 September 2022

C. Regehr ,
V. Goel ,
E. De Prophetis ,
M. Jamil ,
D. Mertz ,
L. Rosella ,
D. Bulir  and
M. Smieja
C. Regehr*
Affiliation:
University of Toronto, Factor-inwentash Faculty Of Social Work, Toronto, Canada
V. Goel
Affiliation:
University of Toronto, Dalla Lana School Of Public Health, Toronto, Canada
E. De Prophetis
Affiliation:
University of Toronto, Dalla Lana School Of Public Health, Toronto, Canada
M. Jamil
Affiliation:
McMaster University, Mcmaster Health Labs, Hamilton, Canada
D. Mertz
Affiliation:
McMaster University, Department Of Medicine, Hamilton, Canada
L. Rosella
Affiliation:
University of Toronto, Dalla Lana School Of Public Health, Toronto, Canada
D. Bulir
Affiliation:
McMaster University, Research Institute Of St Joes, Hamilton, Canada
M. Smieja
Affiliation:
McMaster University, Pathology And Molecular Medicine, Hamilton, Canada
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.
Introduction

Nations thorughout the world are imposing mandatory quarantine on those entering the country. While such measures may be effective in reducing the importation of COVID-19, the mental health implications remain unclear.

Objectives

This study sought to assess mental well-being and factors associated with changes in mental health in individuals subject to mandatory quarantine following travel.

Methods

Travellers arriving at a large urban international airport completed online questionnaires on arrival and days 7 and 14 of mandated quarantine. Questionnaire items such as travel history, mental health, attitudes towards COVID-19, and protection behaviours were drawn from the World Health Organization Survey Tool for COVID-19.

Results

There was a clinically significant decline in mental health over the course of quarantine among the 10,965 eligible participants. Poor mental health was reported by 5.1% of participants on arrival and 26% on day 7 of quarantine. Factors associated with greater decline in mental health were younger age, female gender, negative views towards quarantine measures, and engaging in fewer COVID-19 prevention behaviours.

Conclusions

While the widespread use of quarantine may be effective in limiting the spread of COVID-19, the mental health implications are profound and have largely been ignored in public policy decision-making. Psychiatry has a role to play in contributing to the public policy debate to ensure that all aspects of health and well-being are reflected in decisions to isolate people from others.

Disclosure

No significant relationships.

Keywords

covidquarantinemental health
Type
Abstract
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 65 , Special Issue S1: Abstracts of the 30th European Congress of Psychiatry , June 2022 , pp. S135
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the European Psychiatric Association
Submit a response

Comments

No Comments have been published for this article.