INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 epidemic has been causing serious physical, but also psychological effects in society. This systematic review sought to identify studies that describe COVID-19 related anxiety, and to understand the impact of anxiety assessment in defining strategies to be implemented in future studies. METHODOLOGY: This systematic review included cross-sectional studies with no publication year limit. It was performed a systematic search through three databases, namely, PubMed, Science Direct and Web of Science using the descriptors "COVID-19" and "anxiety". PRISMA criteria reporting of systematic reviews and meta-analyses were applied. Eligible articles were selected in accordance with inclusion and exclusion criteria. The inclusion criteria were: research articles related with anxiety measurement during the COVID-19 outbreak; interventions to reduce anxiety; and published in English. RESULTS: From 44 references, just four scientific articles were accepted for inclusion within this review. These studies were analyzed regarding their sample, methodology, instruments used, and its results. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review was based on published data at the onset of the pandemic, and it could serve as a basis for the development of implementations plans to improve anxiety disorders. The importance of this theme, the implications and potential directions for future investigations will be discussed.
Anxiety impact during COVID-19: a systematic review