{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,25]],"date-time":"2026-08-25T00:28:54Z","timestamp":1787617734567,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":69,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,20]],"date-time":"2026-08-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1787184000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,20]],"date-time":"2026-08-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1787184000000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Can J Psychiatry"],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The COVID-19 pandemic and associated public health measures, including lockdowns, school closures, quarantine, and social restrictions, substantially disrupted social and economic life in Canada. These conditions intensified risk factors for depressive symptoms. However, reported prevalence estimates vary widely across studies, highlighting the need for comprehensive syntheses of evidence specific to the Canadian context. The present study aimed to estimate the pooled prevalence of depressive symptoms and examine key demographic, geographic, and methodological sources of variability.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted following a PROSPERO-registered protocol (CRD42024552536). Five databases were searched for studies published since 2020 assessing depressive symptoms in Canada during COVID-19. Methodological quality was evaluated using Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) appraisal checklists. Random-effects meta-analyses estimated pooled prevalence, with subgroup analyses and meta-regressions.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      A total of 144 studies including 406,043 participants were analysed. The pooled prevalence of depressive symptoms in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic was 31.1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 28.4%\u201333.9%), with substantial heterogeneity (\n                      <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">I<\/jats:italic>\n                      <jats:sup>2<\/jats:sup>\n                      \u2009=\u200999.71). Prevalence was higher among women (29.2% [95% CI, 25.8%\u201332.7%]) than men (21.1% [95% CI, 18.5%\u201323.8%]) (\n                      <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009=\u2009.0003) and varied significantly across provinces (\n                      <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009=\u2009.0001), measurement tools (\n                      <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009&lt;\u2009.0001), evaluation periods (\n                      <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009=\u2009.017), and study designs (\n                      <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009=\u2009.041). No significant publication bias was detected (Egger's test:\n                      <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">z<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009=\u20091.05,\n                      <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009=\u2009.295).\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>These findings underscore the critical need for a comprehensive and coordinated national mental health strategy in Canada. Such a strategy should expand the mental health workforce, implement large-scale promotion and early intervention program across schools, workplaces, and community settings, and provide gender-responsive support. Future research should focus on standardizing depressive assessment measurements and prioritizing studies and interventions targeting healthcare workers, as well as racialized and Indigenous populations, to promote equitable access, strengthen resilience, and enhance preparedness for future public health crises.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1177\/07067437261477556","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,20]],"date-time":"2026-08-20T15:23:40Z","timestamp":1787239420000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Prevalence and Correlates of Depressive Symptoms in Canada During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Based on 144 Studies Including 406,043 Participants: Pr\u00e9valence et corr\u00e9lats des sympt\u00f4mes d\u00e9pressifs au Canada pendant la pand\u00e9mie de COVID-19 : revue syst\u00e9matique et m\u00e9ta-analyse de 144 \u00e9tudes comprenant 406 043 participants"],"prefix":"10.1177","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3628-6904","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jude Mary","family":"C\u00e9nat","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Ottawa"},{"name":"University of Ottawa"},{"name":"University of Ottawa"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2144-9515","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Seyed Mohammad Mahdi","family":"Moshirian Farahi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Ottawa"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9188-6705","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Wina Paul","family":"Darius","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Ottawa"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Malick Marc","family":"Ouattara","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Ottawa"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Salma","family":"Ben Messaoud","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Ottawa"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Zuhra","family":"Ahmadzai","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Ottawa"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Taddele Cherinet","family":"Kibret","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Ottawa"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Patrick R.","family":"Labelle","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Ottawa"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rose Darly","family":"Dalexis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Ottawa"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,20]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_3_3_2_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tra.2021.12.007"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_3_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph191610264"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_4_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(20)30460-8"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_5_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1001\/jamapediatrics.2021.5840"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_6_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s00038-020-01426-y"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_7_2","unstructured":"Bauer L. 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