Original Research Paper

Prevalence Of Anxiety During Pandemic Of Covid-19 In Ethiopia: A Systematic Review And Meta-analysis.

Abstract :

Introduction: the Coronavirus Disease-19 pandemic has halted critical mental health services in many countries worldwide while the demand for mental health is increasing. This article sought to systematically review and meta-analysis-based studies on anxiety conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ethiopia. Methods: Pub Med, Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar, African Journals Online, and Cochrane Library were searched. The data were extracted using Microsoft Excel and analyzed by using STATA version 14. Publication bias was checked by funnel plot, contour-enhanced funnel plots, trim and fills analysis, and more objectively through Begg and Eggers regression test, with P< 0.05 considered to indicating potential publication bias. The heterogeneity of studies was checked using I2 statistics. Pooled analysis was conducted using a weighted inverse variance random-effects model. Subgroup analysis was done by region. A sensitivity analysis was employed.Results: A total of eleven studies were included in the systematic review and Meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ethiopia was 35.88% (95% CI 26.01, 445.72) with significant heterogeneity between studies (I2=98.3%; P-value0.001). The subgroup analysis based on the region revealed that the prevalence of depression during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ethiopia was found to be 42.79% in Amhara, 36.86% in Oromia, 35.44% in South, and 30.77% in Addis Ababa.Conclusions: This study revealed that the pooled prevalence of anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ethiopia was high. Moreover, the prevalence of anxiety differed by region. Therefore, It is important to address mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic should be placed into the national mental public health policies to improve population mental health during this crisis.

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