The psychological impact of quarantine and how to reduce it: rapid review of the evidence

The December, 2019 coronavirus disease outbreak has seen many countries ask people who have potentially come
into contact with the infection to isolate themselves at home or in a dedicated quarantine facility. Decisions on how to
apply quarantine should be based on the best available evidence. We did a Review of the psychological impact of
quarantine using three electronic databases. Of 3166 papers found, 24 are included in this Review. Most reviewed
studies reported negative psychological effects including post-traumatic stress symptoms, confusion, and anger. Stressors included longer quarantine duration, infection fears, frustration, boredom, inadequate supplies, inadequate information, financial loss, and stigma.

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• 2019-nCoV, coronavirus, COVID-19, disease outbreak