The prevalence of depressive symptoms among frontline healthcare workers during COVID-19 pandemic: A rapid umbrella review

There is a large body of research with multiple systematic reviews on the prevalence rate of mental health conditions in healthcare workers (HCWs) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The reports on mental health conditions have been contradictory, especially on the prevalence rate of depression. The rapid umbrella approach sought to fill this research gap. The symptoms of depression had a rate of 24–36% in the HCW community, and 14– 53% in the frontline HCW population. Female HCWs, nurses, and frontline health workers showed a prevalence of a larger rate of depression. Earlier reports have been highly heterogeneous, representing a key explanation for the substantially varied reports on depression rates in HCWs and frontline HCWpopulations. Thus, it is suggested that future research, including meta-analysis and primary research works, should be focused on minimizing the inconsistency of results and maximizing their reliability using efficient and effective techniques.