Mental Health and Quality of Life in Parkinson Patients During the COVID-19 Epidemic: A Systematic Review

The COVID-19 has had several psychological and physical consequences, which have been more reported in people with chronic diseases, such as Parkinson’s Disease (PD). In this regard, this study reviewed all articles, which evaluated the mental health and quality of life of patients with PD during the COVID-19 epidemic.

Methods and Materials/Patients: 

In this study, the keywords Parkinson’s disease, PD, Coronavirus 2019, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, mental health, quality of life, depression, stress, and anxiety were searched in the abstract and title of articles published between 2020 (May) and 2022 (April) in reputable international scientific databases of EMBASE, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and PsycINFO, PubMed, and Clarivate Analytics. The PRISMA checklist was used to review and control the quality of articles. Of the total 369 articles found, 21 articles were selected for review.

According to the studies, patients with PD had anxiety, depression, stress, poor sleep quality, death-related thoughts, fear, and cognitive, behavioral, and motor problems during the pandemic. Femininity, low level of education, and poverty were also among the factors exacerbating psychological disorders in PD patients. Decreased physical and social activity also reduced the quality of life in patients with PD. During home quarantine, many patients became concerned about access to medication and physicians, which exacerbated PD.

According to studies, the outbreak of COVID-19 reduced the mental health and quality of life of patients with PD. Since having high mental health has an important role in increasing the immune system against various diseases, identifying and treating vulnerable groups can increase life expectancy in patients.