SearchLog inRegister
LIPS NEXORA
Review ArticlePsychology & Behavioural SciencesOpen Access · CC BY 4.0

The Psychological Effects of COVID-19 During the Period of Isolation and Quarantine

Sini Bhadrasenan Pushpangadan*Department of Zoology, St. Jude's College, Thoothoor - 629176, Kanyakumari District (M.S. University, Abishekapatti, Tirunelveli), Tamil Nadu, India
V. VidhyaDepartment of Zoology, St. Jude's College, Thoothoor - 629176, Kanyakumari District (M.S. University, Abishekapatti, Tirunelveli), Tamil Nadu, India
U. S. PriyaDepartment of Botany, St. Jude's College, Thoothoor - 629176, Kanyakumari District (M.S. University, Abishekapatti, Tirunelveli), Tamil Nadu, India

* Corresponding author

Published in: Vol. 2, No. 1 (2026)Article: 9Pages: 34–38Published: 24 August 2026

Abstract

Although quarantine is a useful strategy for preventing the spread of COVID-19, it is crucial to consider its disadvantages as well, because it can seriously harm the psychological well-being of both the individuals placed under quarantine and a sizeable number of people who are directly or indirectly related to them. A study was carried out to investigate the psychological implications of being placed under quarantine. Participants, who had been placed in either isolation or quarantine, were older than 18 years. Eligible participants were identified from the hospital's records of COVID-19 contacts (quarantine) and cases (isolation). Questionnaires were used to gather information on anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and perceived stress. Individuals who were isolated or quarantined expressed feelings of hopelessness, embarrassment and mild discomfort. There is an urgent need for psychological treatments that identify and target individuals with different degrees of anxiety or depression.

Keywords

COVID-19isolationquarantinedepression

1. Introduction

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak was declared an international public health emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 30 January 2020. The disease, first reported from China in December 2019, continues to surge through the continents, severely affecting many countries in Europe, America and Asia, and is still widening its burden of disease [1]. Coronaviruses (CoVs) represent a major group of viruses mostly affecting human beings through zoonotic transmission. In the past two decades, this is the third instance of the emergence of a novel coronavirus, after severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003 and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in 2012 [2, 3]. Coronaviruses are enveloped, positive-sense RNA viruses ranging from 60 nm to 140 nm in diameter, with spike-like projections on their surface giving them a crown-like appearance under the electron microscope, hence the name coronavirus [4].

The virus typically spreads rapidly from one person to another via respiratory droplets produced during coughing and sneezing. It is considered most contagious when people are symptomatic, although transmission may be possible before symptoms show in patients. The time from exposure to symptom onset is generally between 2 and 14 days, with an average of 5 days. Common symptoms include fever, cough, sneezing and shortness of breath. Complications may include pneumonia, throat pain and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Currently, there is no specific antiviral treatment or vaccine; efforts consist of symptomatic and supportive therapy. Recommended preventive measures include washing hands with soap, covering the mouth when coughing, maintaining a distance of 1 metre from other people, and monitoring and self-isolation for 14 days for people who suspect they are infected [5]. The standard diagnostic method is real-time reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) on a throat swab or nasopharyngeal swab. The infection can also be diagnosed from a combination of symptoms, risk factors and a chest CT scan showing features of pneumonia [6].

This unpredictable, fast-spreading infectious disease has been causing universal awareness, anxiety and distress, all of which, according to the WHO, are natural psychological responses to the randomly changing condition [7]. To prevent the spread of the virus, individuals testing positive for the disease should be placed in isolation (“separation of ill or infected persons from others”) [8]. Although isolation and quarantine have distinct meanings in practice, they both involve the separation of an individual from their loved ones, normal activities and routines for the purpose of infection prevention.

The psychological impact of quarantine and isolation was exacerbated by the harmful effects of limited physical activity and changes in dietary practices [9]. Many psychological problems and important consequences in terms of mental health, including stress, anxiety, depression, frustration and uncertainty, emerged progressively during the COVID-19 outbreak [10].

2. Significance of the Study

Although there has been a lot of research on the psychological effects of quarantine, it is still important to synthesise the literature from the perspective of socio-ecological theory, because this model has been used as a framework for many action research studies.

3. Methodology

The questionnaire was invented by Sir Francis Galton, a British anthropologist, explorer and statistician, in the late 1800s [11]. According to one definition, “A questionnaire is simply a list of mimeographed or printed questions that is completed by or for a respondent” to give his or her opinion [12]. A questionnaire is a list of inquiries made to people in order to gather data on a subject that is statistically significant. Questionnaires, when properly designed and responsibly administered, become an essential tool for making statements about individuals, groups or entire populations.

4. Assessment of the Questionnaires

The strength of questionnaires is that they are an efficient and reasonably priced technique for collecting a lot of data quickly. Answers to questionnaires may be more truthful because they can be completed in private and frequently anonymously.

5. Results

The experience of quarantine was found to be emotionally overwhelming for the individuals. The findings revealed that anxiety, distress and depression were the most frequently reported psychological difficulties experienced [13–39]. It has also been found that females reported more symptoms of depression during this period [40]. The negative impact of quarantine affected children in such a way that their overall development was hindered because of the imposed restrictions on their play activities and increased screen time. The review findings revealed that the quarantine experience took a toll on their emotional well-being [41, 42]. The experience of quarantine increased vulnerability to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), phobia, somatic problems, behavioural issues, sleep disorders and even acute-onset psychosis [14, 16, 24–28, 43–47]. All of these studies emphasise the necessity of additional psychological support designed to address issues that arise both during and after quarantine, as failing to do so could have detrimental effects on people’s physical and mental health.

6. Conclusion

Quarantined individuals experienced physical problems, anxiety, depression, signs of post-traumatic stress disorder and difficulty sleeping. Young age, female gender, poverty, fear of infection, poor sleep, decreased physical activity, increased sedentary behaviour and a lack of social support are some of the major risk factors during quarantine. Even after the quarantine period ended, discrimination and financial hardships continued to be risk factors. Coping strategies, exercising at home, leisure, recreational activities, preserving relationships on social media and the accessibility of mental health providers were important protective factors. The results also emphasise how important it is to use tele-mental health therapies to address the psychological repercussions of quarantine, and how important it is to improve knowledge, awareness and self-coping mechanisms in these circumstances. In conclusion, the COVID-19 epidemic has had an unparalleled psychological impact. Besides COVID-19, the 21st century is also the era of an emerging pandemic of mental illnesses [48].

References

  1. Lai CC, Shih TP, Ko WC, Tang HJ, Hsueh PR. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19): the epidemic and the challenges. Int J Antimicrob Agents. 2020;55(3):105924. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2020.105924
  2. Ramadan N, Shaib H. Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV): a review. Germs. 2019;9(1):35–42. https://doi.org/10.18683/germs.2019.1155
  3. Zhong NS, Zheng BJ, Li YM, Poon LLM, Xie ZH, Chan KH, et al. Epidemiology and cause of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in Guangdong, People's Republic of China, in February, 2003. Lancet. 2003;362(9393):1353–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(03)14630-2
  4. Richman DD, Whitley RJ, Hayden FG. Clinical virology. 4th ed. Washington (DC): ASM Press; 2016. https://doi.org/10.1128/9781555819439
  5. Hafeez A, Ahmad S, Siddqui SA, Ahmad M, Mishra S. A review of COVID-19 (coronavirus disease-2019) diagnosis, treatments and prevention. Eurasian J Med Oncol. 2020;4(2):116–25. https://doi.org/10.14744/ejmo.2020.90853
  6. Velavan TP, Meyer CG. The COVID-19 epidemic. Trop Med Int Health. 2020;25(3):278–80. https://doi.org/10.1111/tmi.13383
  7. Kluge HHP. Statement – physical and mental health key to resilience during COVID-19 pandemic [Internet]. Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe; 2020 Mar 26 [cited 2020 Mar 30]. https://www.who.int/europe/news/item/26-03-2020-statement-physical-and-mental-health-key-to-resilience-during-covid-19-pandemic
  8. World Health Organization. Considerations for quarantine of individuals in the context of containment for coronavirus disease (COVID-19): interim guidance, 29 February 2020 [Internet]. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2020. Report No.: WHO/2019-nCov/IHR_Quarantine/2020.1. https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/331299
  9. Füzéki E, Groneberg DA, Banzer W. Physical activity during COVID-19 induced lockdown: recommendations. J Occup Med Toxicol. 2020;15(1):25. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12995-020-00278-9
  10. Duan L, Zhu G. Psychological interventions for people affected by the COVID-19 epidemic. Lancet Psychiatry. 2020;7(4):300–2. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2215-0366(20)30073-0
  11. Wikipedia contributors. Questionnaire [Internet]. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia; [date unknown]. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Questionnaire
  12. World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific. Health research methodology: a guide for training in research methods. 2nd ed. Manila: WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific; 2001. Annex 1, Questionnaire design; p. 171. https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/206929
  13. El Keshky MES, Alsabban AM, Basyouni SS. The psychological and social impacts on personal stress for residents quarantined for COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia. Arch Psychiatr Nurs. 2021;35(3):311–6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apnu.2020.09.008
  14. Fernández RS, Crivelli L, Guimet NM, Allegri RF, Pedreira ME. Psychological distress associated with COVID-19 quarantine: latent profile analysis, outcome prediction and mediation analysis. J Affect Disord. 2020;277:75–84. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2020.07.133
  15. Fuentes-García JP, Martínez Patiño MJ, Villafaina S, Clemente-Suárez VJ. The effect of COVID-19 confinement in behavioral, psychological, and training patterns of chess players. Front Psychol. 2020;11:1812. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01812
  16. Giardino DL, Huck-Iriart C, Riddick M, Garay A. The endless quarantine: the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on healthcare workers after three months of mandatory social isolation in Argentina. Sleep Med. 2020;76:16–25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2020.09.022
  17. Kılınçel Ş, Kılınçel O, Muratdağı G, Aydın A, Usta MB. Factors affecting the anxiety levels of adolescents in home-quarantine during COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey. Asia Pac Psychiatry. 2021;13(2):e12406. https://doi.org/10.1111/appy.12406
  18. Khan AH, Sultana MS, Hossain S, Hasan MT, Ahmed HU, Sikder MT. The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on mental health & wellbeing among home-quarantined Bangladeshi students: a cross-sectional pilot study. J Affect Disord. 2020;277:121–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2020.07.135
  19. Lei L, Huang X, Zhang S, Yang J, Yang L, Xu M. Comparison of prevalence and associated factors of anxiety and depression among people affected by versus people unaffected by quarantine during the COVID-19 epidemic in southwestern China. Med Sci Monit. 2020;26:e924609. https://doi.org/10.12659/msm.924609
  20. Massad I, Al-Taher R, Massad F, Al-Sabbagh MQ, Haddad M, Abufaraj M. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health: early quarantine-related anxiety and its correlates among Jordanians. East Mediterr Health J. 2020;26(10):1165–72. https://doi.org/10.26719/emhj.20.115
  21. Pandey D, Bansal S, Goyal S, Garg A, Sethi N, Pothiyill DI, et al. Psychological impact of mass quarantine on population during pandemics—the COVID-19 Lock-Down (COLD) study. PLoS One. 2020;15(10):e0240501. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0240501
  22. Pérez-Fuentes MDC, Molero Jurado MDM, Martos Martínez Á, Gázquez Linares JJ. Threat of COVID-19 and emotional state during quarantine: positive and negative affect as mediators in a cross-sectional study of the Spanish population. PLoS One. 2020;15(6):e0235305. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0235305
  23. Ruggieri S, Ingoglia S, Bonfanti RC, Lo Coco G. The role of online social comparison as a protective factor for psychological wellbeing: a longitudinal study during the COVID-19 quarantine. Pers Individ Dif. 2021;171:110486. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2020.110486
  24. Youssef N, Mostafa A, Ezzat R, Yosef M, El Kassas M. Mental health status of health-care professionals working in quarantine and non-quarantine Egyptian hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic. East Mediterr Health J. 2020;26(10):1155–64. https://doi.org/10.26719/emhj.20.116
  25. Wielgus B, Urban W, Patriak A, Cichocki Ł. Examining the associations between psychological flexibility, mindfulness, psychosomatic functioning, and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic: a path analysis. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(23):8764. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17238764
  26. Jurblum M, Ng CH, Castle DJ. Psychological consequences of social isolation and quarantine: issues related to COVID-19 restrictions. Aust J Gen Pract. 2020;49(12):778–83. https://doi.org/10.31128/ajgp-06-20-5481
  27. Tang F, Liang J, Zhang H, Kelifa MM, He Q, Wang P. COVID-19 related depression and anxiety among quarantined respondents. Psychol Health. 2021;36(2):164–78. https://doi.org/10.1080/08870446.2020.1782410
  28. Tang W, Hu T, Hu B, Jin C, Wang G, Xie C, et al. Prevalence and correlates of PTSD and depressive symptoms one month after the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic in a sample of home-quarantined Chinese university students. J Affect Disord. 2020;274:1–7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2020.05.009
  29. Tang W, Hu T, Yang L, Xu J. The role of alexithymia in the mental health problems of home-quarantined university students during the COVID-19 pandemic in China. Pers Individ Dif. 2020;165:110131. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2020.110131
  30. Cineka A, Raj JM. Dance and music as a therapy to heal physical and psychological pain: an analytical study of COVID-19 patients during quarantine. Eur J Mol Clin Med. 2020;7(6):99–109.
  31. di Cagno A, Buonsenso A, Baralla F, Grazioli E, Di Martino G, Lecce E, et al. Psychological impact of the quarantine-induced stress during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak among Italian athletes. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(23):8867. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17238867
  32. Gan Y, Ma J, Wu J, Chen Y, Zhu H, Hall BJ. Immediate and delayed psychological effects of province-wide lockdown and personal quarantine during the COVID-19 outbreak in China. Psychol Med. 2022;52(7):1321–32. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0033291720003116
  33. Ribeiro E, Sampaio A, Gonçalves MM, Taveira MDC, Cunha J, Maia Â, et al. Telephone-based psychological crisis intervention: the Portuguese experience with COVID-19. Couns Psychol Q. 2021;34(3–4):432–46. https://doi.org/10.1080/09515070.2020.1772200
  34. Saurabh K, Ranjan S. Compliance and psychological impact of quarantine in children and adolescents due to COVID-19 pandemic. Indian J Pediatr. 2020;87(7):532–6. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12098-020-03347-3
  35. Xin M, Luo S, She R, Yu Y, Li L, Wang S, et al. Negative cognitive and psychological correlates of mandatory quarantine during the initial COVID-19 outbreak in China. Am Psychol. 2020;75(5):607–17. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000692
  36. Samrah SM, Al-Mistarehi AH, Aleshawi AJ, Khasawneh AG, Momany SM, Momany BS, et al. Depression and coping among COVID-19-infected individuals after 10 days of mandatory in-hospital quarantine, Irbid, Jordan. Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2020;13:823–30. https://doi.org/10.2147/prbm.s267459
  37. Alkhamees AA, Aljohani MS, Alghesen MA, Alhabib AT. Psychological distress in quarantine designated facility during COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia. Risk Manag Healthc Policy. 2020;13:3103–20. https://doi.org/10.2147/rmhp.s284102
  38. Guo Y, Cheng C, Zeng Y, Li Y, Zhu M, Yang W, et al. Mental health disorders and associated risk factors in quarantined adults during the COVID-19 outbreak in China: cross-sectional study. J Med Internet Res. 2020;22(8):e20328. https://doi.org/10.2196/20328
  39. Singh SP, Khokhar A. Prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder and depression in general population in India during COVID-19 pandemic home quarantine. Asia Pac J Public Health. 2021;33(1):154–6. https://doi.org/10.1177/1010539520968455
  40. Ripon RK, Mim SS, Puente AE, Hossain S, Babor MMH, Sohan SA, et al. COVID-19: psychological effects on a COVID-19 quarantined population in Bangladesh. Heliyon. 2020;6(11):e05481. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05481
  41. Orgilés M, Morales A, Delvecchio E, Mazzeschi C, Espada JP. Immediate psychological effects of the COVID-19 quarantine in youth from Italy and Spain. Front Psychol. 2020;11:579038. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.579038
  42. Graber KM, Byrne EM, Goodacre EJ, Kirby N, Kulkarni K, O'Farrelly C, et al. A rapid review of the impact of quarantine and restricted environments on children's play and the role of play in children's health. Child Care Health Dev. 2021;47(2):143–53. https://doi.org/10.1111/cch.12832
  43. Brooks SK, Webster RK, Smith LE, Woodland L, Wessely S, Greenberg N, et al. The psychological impact of quarantine and how to reduce it: rapid review of the evidence. Lancet. 2020;395(10227):912–20. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(20)30460-8
  44. Fawaz M, Samaha A. COVID-19 quarantine: post-traumatic stress symptomatology among Lebanese citizens. Int J Soc Psychiatry. 2020;66(7):666–74. https://doi.org/10.1177/0020764020932207
  45. Fawaz M, Samaha A. The psychosocial effects of being quarantined following exposure to COVID-19: a qualitative study of Lebanese health care workers. Int J Soc Psychiatry. 2020;66(6):560–5. https://doi.org/10.1177/0020764020932202
  46. Finatti F, Pigato G, Pavan C, Toffanin T, Favaro A. Psychosis in patients in COVID-19-related quarantine: a case series. Prim Care Companion CNS Disord. 2020;22(3):20l02640. https://doi.org/10.4088/pcc.20l02640
  47. Casagrande M, Favieri F, Tambelli R, Forte G. The enemy who sealed the world: effects quarantine due to the COVID-19 on sleep quality, anxiety, and psychological distress in the Italian population. Sleep Med. 2020;75:12–20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2020.05.011
  48. Tucci V, Moukaddam N. We are the hollow men: the worldwide epidemic of mental illness, psychiatric and behavioral emergencies, and its impact on patients and providers. J Emerg Trauma Shock. 2017;10(1):4–6. https://doi.org/10.4103/0974-2700.199517

Related articles

Selected by shared keywords and research domain.

COVID-19 in Patients with Chronic Leukemia

Anitta Mathew, Vasile Musteata, S. Dipthy

The global outbreak of COVID-19 has disproportionately affected individuals with pre-existing medical conditions, particularly tho…

31 Aug 2026

COVID-19 and Pandemics Through the Ages: A Historical Perspective

G. M. Sreelekshmi, R. S. Nandana, S. B. Kaviya, R. S. Dhivya

At the dawn of 2020, the world faced an unprecedented challenge as the COVID-19 pandemic began to reshape daily life globally. Thi…

25 Jun 2026

Open Access & Licensing

This is an open access article published by DLCARD and distributed under the terms of the CC BY 4.0 licence. You are free to read, download and share it, provided the original work is properly cited.