scholarly journals Perspective Chapter: Psychological Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vasfiye Bayram Değer

COVID-19, the viral pneumonia seen in China towards the end of 2019, was declared a global pandemic in March 2020 since it spread almost all over the world. While such pandemic situations that are concerned with public health cause a sense of insecurity, confusion, loneliness and stigmatization among individuals, it can result in economic losses, closure of workplaces and schools, insufficient resources for medical needs and inadequate satisfaction of needs in societies. The economic crisis, which is one of the most important problems in pandemic periods, and the concomitant uncertainties can also cause suicidal thoughts. As a result, how the society responds psychologically during epidemics has an important role in shaping the spread of the disease, emotional difficulties and social problems during and after the epidemic. It often appears that no resources are allocated to manage, or at least mitigate the effects of epidemics on psychological health and well-being. In the acute phase of the epidemic, health system administrators prioritize testing, preventing contagion and providing patient care, but psychological needs should not be disregarded either.

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-31
Author(s):  
Gökmen Arslan

Loneliness is a serious risk factor for healthy development and flourishing. Although loneliness has been revealed to play an important role in psychological health and well-being, little is known about moderating and mitigating mechanisms underlying this association, especially during adverse experiences (e.g., COVID-19 pandemic). The current study purposed to explore whether subjective vitality mediated the association of loneliness with psychological adjustment and whether college belongingness moderated the mediating effect of subjective vitality on students’ adjustment in the context of loneliness. The study sample comprised 333 undergraduate students (69% female) from a public university in Turkey. They ranged in age between 19 and 41 years (M= 21.94, SD= 4.15). Findings from mediation analysis revealed that loneliness had a significant predictive effect on subjective vitality and psychological adjustment challenges. Subjective vitality also mediated the effect of loneliness on the psychological adjustment of college students. Further, college belongingness moderated the mediating effect of subjective vitality on adjustment and had a protective effect on the association between loneliness and subjective vitality in college students. These results indicate that subjective vitality and college belongingness are important mechanisms that may help develop prevention and intervention strategies to foster students’ psychological health and well-being in university settings.


Author(s):  
Timothy F. Murphy

People with intersex conditions have male-typical and female-typical traits, to varying degrees in genetics and anatomy. Because of these variations, people with intersex conditions or disorders of sexual development can face difficulties related to their identities and relationships. As a matter of ethics, clinicians should exhibit humane behavior toward patients of all ages as they explore the meaning of their intersex condition for their health and well-being. Clinicians can also help families understand the meaning of that condition for their children and themselves. Clinicians will also have responsibilities toward child, adolescent, and adult patients bearing on the psychological effects of body modifications taken to normalize their sexual appearance. In addition, clinicians will have the responsibility to address the effects of body modifications hoped for by the patient. Observance of confidentiality is key in relationships with intersex patients.


2022 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 923-950
Author(s):  
O. S. Pavlova

The article is devoted to the study of the Islamic concept of happiness from the standpoint of psychological science. Two approaches to the understanding of happiness, originating in Antiquity, are considered: hedonistic and eudemonistic; the cultural specifi city of happiness is investigated through the prism of ethnocultural values. It outlines the views on psychological health and well-being in Islam, as well as the views on social and individual predictors of happiness of medieval and modern Muslim scholars. The author concludes that the concept of happiness and the idea of it has its own specifi city in diff erent cultures. The concept of happiness among Muslims is directly related to their religious values and worldview, as well as to the peculiarities of ethnic culture. Since Muslim communities are collectivist, the happiness of an individual is seen as closely related to the public good. For a Muslim, the path to happiness is associated with improving his character and the formation of moral values and behavior. Modern Psychology and Psychotherapy are developing the ideas about moral psychology and the ways of its formation as the basis for the psychological wellbeing of an individual.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (22) ◽  
pp. 138-146
Author(s):  
Mumtaj Hassan ◽  
Anis Shuhaiza Md Salleh ◽  
Yusramizza Md Isa @ Yusuff

The global pandemic of COVID-19 has endangered the human and economic well-being in the world. It also has a huge impact on almost all industries at home and abroad. The International Labor Organization (ILO) expects the pandemic to increase layoffs and unemployment worldwide. In this case, employers are certainly in a dilemma, each looking for and juggling between workers' income and business profit. Thus, this article explores the aspect of termination of employees’ employment through library-based research that focuses on the use of statutes, courts’ cases, legal documents, and scholarly writings published in journals. Descriptive and critical methods are used to analyse the primary and secondary sources referred to. This article stresses that there are procedures and laws which employers need to obey in order to address the excessive number of employees in the face of pandemics. Dismissal of employees should not be done arbitrarily without justifications and procedures that have been outlined by law. The discussion ended with suggestions to employers so that any layoffs can be blocked and minimized.


2021 ◽  
Vol 80 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 40-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danae Papageorgiou ◽  
Angelos P. Kassianos ◽  
Marios Constantinou ◽  
Demetris Lamnisos ◽  
Christiana Nicolaou ◽  
...  

Abstract. Introduction: Following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, most countries imposed strict governmental lockdowns. Research investigating the psychological impact of pandemic-induced lockdowns is accumulating, though to date no study has examined the psychological health and associated parameters of well-being in countries that underwent additional lockdowns as the pandemic continued into resurgence “waves.” Aim: The present study provides an overview of the psychological impact of COVID-19 across the two lockdowns in the Cypriot population. Methods: In total, 957 participants completed an online survey during the first lockdown, 134 of whom completed a similar survey again during the second lockdown. The outcomes assessed included stress, positive and negative affect, and well-being. Results: The results indicated no population-wide severe reactions in the participants. Repeated measures analyses showed similar mental health levels during both the first and the second lockdowns. Further inspection of participants’ scores indicated that, for all mental health variables, approximately half of the participants improved, while the other half deteriorated. Discussion: Perceived social support and psychological flexibility predicted most psychological outcomes during both lockdowns. Further research is necessary to understand the continuing effects of the pandemic and associated lockdowns on mental health.


Beyond Coping ◽  
2002 ◽  
pp. 83-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald J. Burke

Chapter 5 discusses work stress and coping in organizations. It reviews the coping literature focusing on the workplace, presents a framework for the study of coping in organizations (including the organizational environment, cognitive appraisal, individual stress and coping behaviours). It discusses managerial health and well-being, the psychological effects of organizational change, and draws conclusions about coping with work stress.


Author(s):  
Shinichiro Asayama ◽  
Seita Emori ◽  
Masahiro Sugiyama ◽  
Fumiko Kasuga ◽  
Chiho Watanabe

Abstract Climate change and coronavirus pandemic are the twin crises in the Anthropocene, the era in which unsustainable growth of human activities has led to a significant change in the global environment. The two crises have also exposed a chronic social illness of our time—a deep, widespread inequality in society. Whilst the circumstances are unfortunate, the pandemic can provide an opportunity for sustainability scientists to focus more on human society and its inequalities, rather than a sole focus on the natural environment. It opens the way for a new normative commitment of science in a time of crises. We suggest three agendas for future climate and sustainability research after the pandemic: (1) focus on health and well-being, (2) moral engagement through empathy, and (3) science of loss for managing grief.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Keri-Leigh Cassidy ◽  
Michael Vallis ◽  
David Conn ◽  
Ariane S. Massie ◽  
Claire Checkland ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Background: Positive psychiatry offers an unique approach to promote brain health and well-being in aging populations. Minimal interventions through behavioral activation to promote wellness are increasingly available using self-guided apps, yet little is known about the effectiveness of app technology or the difference between clinician-supported behavioral activation versus self-guided app methodologies. Objectives: Investigate the difference in users and outcomes between two methods of the Fountain of Health (FoH) positive psychiatry intervention for behavioral activation to promote brain health and well-being: (1) clinician-assisted and (2) independent app use for behavioral self-management. Design and setting: As part of a larger knowledge translation intervention in positive psychiatry, two specific methods of a behavioral activation intervention were retrospectively compared. Participants: Two subsets of patients were compared; 254 clinician-assisted patients; 333 independent app users. Intervention: A minimal positive psychiatry intervention in frontline care using the FoH health and behavior change clinical tools Measurements: Main outcomes were changes in psychological (health and resilience, well-being scores) and behavioral indices (goal attainment, items of goal SMART-ness). User profiles (age, sex and completion rates) were also compared. Results: Clinician-assisted patients were more likely to be male, older, and have lower health and resilience scores at baseline. Clinician-assisted patients had notably higher completion rates (99.2% vs. 10.8%). Psychological outcomes (improved health and resilience, and well-being) were similar regardless of intervention method for those who completed the intervention. Behavioral outcomes revealed clinician-assisted patients set goals that better adhered to key goal-setting items. Conclusions: Clinician–patient relationships appear to be an important factor for intervention completion and behavioral outcomes, while further exploration of best practices for intervention completion using health apps in clinical practice is needed. A preliminary goal-setting methodology for effective behavioral activation, to promote brain health and wellness, is given.


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