Psychological harm from being quarantined can last for years, with some evidence that healthcare workers are at particular risk, say psychologists who have conducted a rapid review of the literature.

The researchers, from Kings College London in the UK, examined 23 studies of quarantine enforced during the SARS, MERS, H1N1 influenza, Ebola and Australian equine influenza epidemics.

They found that people quarantined reported fear, nervousness, sadness, guilt, anger, confusion, grief, numbness and anxiety-induced insomnia, with low mood and irritability being highly prevalent.

People with psychiatric disorders were more severely affected by quarantine, the reviewers found.