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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

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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
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