AUTHOR=Kassew Tilahun , Melkam Mamaru , Minichil Woredaw , Wondie Mesele , Ali Dawed 

TITLE=Depressive and anxiety symptoms amid COVID-19 pandemic among healthcare workers in a low-resource setting: a systematic review and meta-analysis from Ethiopia

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychiatry

VOLUME=Volume 15 - 2024

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1342002

DOI=10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1342002

ISSN=1664-0640

ABSTRACT=Background: Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) outbreak is one of the public health problems that pose a serious mental health concern due to its high morbidity and mortality rate. The health care workers are at risk of developing mental health symptoms like depression and anxiety because they are the first point of contact in the diagnosis, treatment and care of patients with COVID-19. This study aimed to systematically review the prevalence and associated factors of depression and anxiety disorders among healthcare workers amid COVID-19 pandemic in Ethiopia.Method: A systematic review and meta-analysis study were conducted. Different primary studies that assessed the depressive and anxiety disorders during amid COVID-19 pandemic in the Ethiopian healthcare workers were extracted by Microsoft Excel and exported to STATA version 11 for further analysis. Random-effect model meta-analysis was used to estimate pooled effect size and effect of each study with their 95% confidence interval. Funnel plots analysis and Egger regression tests were conducted to detect the presence of publication bias. Sub-group analysis and sensitivity analysis were conducted.Results: Thirteen studies with 5,174 participants were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis study. The pooled prevalence of depression and anxiety disorders was 40.39% (95% CI: 28.54, 52.24) and 44.93% (95% CI: 31.39, 58.46), respectively. Being female, being married, working in the frontline and high perceived susceptibility were significantly associated with depression among the Ethiopian healthcare workers. Similarly, being female, older in age, working in the frontline and high perceived susceptibility were the factors associated with anxiety disorder among the Ethiopian healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.The prevalence of depression and anxiety disorders in the Ethiopian healthcare workers was high. The timely detection and appropriate management of mental health problems is essential for the quality of healthcare services, and proactive support methods for female, married, older age healthcare professionals could result in these outcomes.