The coronavirus epidemic is driving the spread of the risk of COVID-19-related psychiatric illnesses, making the problem necessary to address. This assumption is confirmed by the data presented in the literature. The information presented in the reviewed literature emphasizes that the pandemic has a negative impact on the mental health of the population primarily due to isolation. In particular, people experience stress when the environment changes unexpectedly and dramatically, which leads to psychological distress (Moreno et al., 2020). Additionally, the situation is exacerbated by the lack of proper attention to mental health by healthcare providers, as they focus on general medical complications (Vindegaard & Benros, 2020). The data also suggests that healthcare workers are also experiencing an increased negative mental health impact of the pandemic as they interact directly with its consequences (Fiorillo & Giorillo, 2020). Thus, the literature not only confirms the existence of the problem but also highlights vulnerable populations and predicates of increased risk.
The literature review allows concluding that the pandemic has an indirect negative impact on the mental health of the population. In particular, this is supported by the finding that people are stressed by economic issues, which are expected to worsen with the pandemic. Moreover, the existing problems of society that form groups vulnerable to mental disorders are further exacerbated by the pandemic. This circumstance is the most important finding of this literature review since it allows considering the topics in more depth. However, research into the negative impact of the pandemic on the mental health of people who have difficulty accessing healthcare requires additional data. This information is limited due to the small amount of research in this area.
The results of the literature review allow developing practical strategies to reduce the negative effect of the pandemic on the mental health of the population. The use of the obtained data provides an opportunity to highlight the aspects that are most significant for increasing the risks and consider measures that could be implemented. Despite a fairly extensive body of literature directly studying the situation related to the impact of the pandemic on mental health, there are few articles focusing on improvement strategies. This circumstance is both a limitation of this review and an opportunity for future research. Although Cullen et al. (2020) provide information on the need for self-care when faced with stressful situations, the literature reviewed does not underline specific practical implications. Thus, the studied data are a significant theoretical basis for describing the existence and extent of the problem.
References
Cullen, W., Gulati, G., & Kelly, B. D. (2020). Mental health in the Covid-19 Pandemic. QJM: An International Journal of Medicine, 113(5), 311-312. Web.
Fiorillo, A., & Gorwood, P. (2020). The consequences of the COVID-19 Pandemic on mental health and implications for clinical practice. European Psychiatry, 63(1), 1-2. Web.
Moreno, W., et al. (2020). How psychological health care should change as a sign of the COVID-19 Pandemic. The Lancet Psychiatry, 7(9), 813-824. Web.
Vindegaard, N., & Benros, M. E. (2020). COVID-19 pandemic and mental health consequences: Systematic review of the current evidence. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 89, 531-542. Web.