COVID-19 pandemic: mental health and beyond – the Indian perspective

India is a de facto continent in the garb of a country. COVID-19 is an unprecedented global pandemic spanning continents. Being the second most populous country in the world, experts regard how India deals with the outbreak will have enormous impact on the world’s ability to deal with it. The country has been in lockdown since March 25, 2020 until the current time of early May 2020, and despite several challenges, there has been early success. The major conflict now is the health benefits weighed up against the deleterious social and economic consequences of prolonged lockdown, that is, life versus livelihood. This unprecedented calamity could potentially cause or exacerbate various psychiatric disorders. It is recognized that lifestyle changes and limited screen time may help reduce mental health difficulties. Considering the physical barriers to consultation, development of telemedicine services is needed. This pandemic, like other previous pandemics, will pass, and until this happens, we must remain extremely vigilant.

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COVID-19 pandemic: A review of the global lockdown and its far-reaching effects

Science Progress ◽

10.1177/00368504211019854 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 104 (2) ◽

pp. 003685042110198

Author(s):

Helen Onyeaka ◽

Christian K Anumudu ◽

Zainab T Al-Sharify ◽

Esther Egele-Godswill ◽

Paul Mbaegbu

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Global Economy ◽

World Health ◽

Global Pandemic ◽

The World ◽

Education Delivery ◽

Environmental Air ◽

Health Organization ◽

Almost All ◽

The Impact

COVID-19, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on the 11th of March 2020, leading to some form of lockdown across almost all countries of the world. The extent of the global pandemic due to COVID-19 has a significant impact on our lives that must be studied carefully to combat it. This study highlights the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown on crucial aspects of daily life globally, including; Food security, Global economy, Education, Tourism, hospitality, sports and leisure, Gender Relation, Domestic Violence/Abuse, Mental Health and Environmental air pollution through a systematic search of the literature. The COVID-19 global lockdown was initiated to stem the spread of the virus and ‘flatten the curve’ of the pandemic. However, the impact of the lockdown has had far-reaching effects in different strata of life, including; changes in the accessibility and structure of education delivery to students, food insecurity as a result of unavailability and fluctuation in prices, the depression of the global economy, increase in mental health challenges, wellbeing and quality of life amongst others. This review article highlights the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown across the globe. As the global lockdown is being lifted in a phased manner in various countries of the world, it is necessary to explore its impacts to understand its consequences comprehensively. This will guide future decisions that will be made in a possible future wave of the COVID-19 pandemic or other global disease outbreak.

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Coping During Covid-19 Workbook

10.31219/osf.io/ruaxy ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Eamon Aswad ◽

Keith Gaynor

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Coping Skills ◽

Behavioural Therapy ◽

Anxiety And Depression ◽

Medical Support ◽

Self Help ◽

Cognitive Behavioural ◽

The World ◽

Mental Health Difficulties ◽

Behavioural Strategies

2020 saw the world affected by an unprecedented pandemic. Alongside the healthrisks, the COVID-19 pandemic has created mental health difficulties for a largenumber of people. Many people are feeling anxious or depressed, in ways that they might never have before.This eight module Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Workbook is designed to support those who are struggling with symptoms of anxiety and depression because of the COVID-19 crisis. This workbook has been created to provide psycho-education and self-help techniques to manage COVID-19 related distress.The workbook includes a variety of cognitive and behavioural strategies including;mindfulness exercises, gradual exposure to feared situations, physical coping skills, reducing unhelpful behaviours that contribute to anxiety (e.g. avoidance), reducing worry, maintaining identity and testing out beliefs about COVID-19.It is recommended that this workbook can be completed by anyone who is over the age of eighteen. The Coping During COVID-19 Workbook doesn’t replace formal psychological or medical support but may be an additional resource.

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Recovery and dementia: promoting choice and challenging controversy

Mental Health and Social Inclusion ◽

10.1108/mhsi-06-2017-0025 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 21 (5) ◽

pp. 297-303 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Laura Louise Hammond ◽

Conrad Debney

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Design Methodology ◽

Positive Attitude ◽

Content Type ◽

People With Dementia ◽

The World ◽

Key Concepts ◽

Mental Health Difficulties ◽

Person With Dementia ◽

Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide a viewpoint about why people with dementia should be able to choose Recovery and how this approach might be experienced by them. Design/methodology/approach This paper addresses some key challenges to accepting Recovery as an approach for people with dementia by making comparisons with people with mental health difficulties. It then discusses key concepts of Recovery using the connectedness, hope, identity, meaning and empowerment framework and how each one might be experienced by the person with dementia. Findings The challenges which cause concerns about the applicability of Recovery to people with dementia are shared by people with mental health difficulties, therefore Recovery should be perceived as an approach suitable for anyone regardless of their diagnosis. Recovery for people with dementia could mean: connecting to the self, others and the world to promote feelings of purposefulness; having hope for the here and now; preserving one’s identity; finding meaning in retaining skills and incorporating dementia into one’s life; and, feeling empowered by keeping one’s mind working, adopting a positive attitude, having control and making decisions. Practical implications People with dementia can choose to access Recovery, and commonly voiced concerns can be answered and supported with evidence. Originality/value This is one of the only papers written to provide an understanding of how Recovery might be experienced by people living with dementia, and directly answers some concerns.

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Stigma, COVID-19 and mental health: where do we stand?

Bengal Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.51332/bjp.2020.v25.i1.82 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 19-23

Author(s):

Seshadri Sekar Chatterjee ◽

Mansi Vora ◽

Barikar C Malathesh ◽

Abir Mukherjee

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Economic Consequences ◽

Cultural Aspects ◽

The World

As the world grapples with the Covid-19 pandemic, along with the obvious health challenges, imposed restrictions and associated economic consequences, the socio-cultural aspects need to be addressed too. Though it is true that increased awareness is essential, to endure the pandemic, it is coming with other unacceptable consequences, as well. Stigma is one of them.

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Digital Engagement, Diversity and Access in Museum Education

10.30687/978-88-6969-542-1/005 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Carlo Corsato ◽

Kate Devine

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Young People ◽

Best Practice ◽

Museum Education ◽

National Gallery ◽

Community Group ◽

National Programmes ◽

The World ◽

Mental Health Difficulties ◽

Digital Engagement

In the wake of 2020’s Coronavirus pandemic, museums and galleries across the world were forced to close and many of these institutions turned to programming activities online rather than onsite. This paper explores that move from the physical to the digital realm through two case studies within the Learning and National Programmes department at The National Gallery in London. It addresses the obstacles and benefits of online working with two very different audiences, young people in education and a community group of people living with mental health difficulties. The paper seeks to elaborate on the specific challenges of working with these audiences and contribute to the development of best practice in the field.

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COVID-19, mental health and psychological first aid

Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/ipm.2020.41 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 37 (4) ◽

pp. 259-263 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

E. Minihan ◽

B. Gavin ◽

B. D. Kelly ◽

F. McNicholas

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Illness ◽

Well Being ◽

First Aid ◽

World Health ◽

Psychological First Aid ◽

Global Pandemic ◽

The World ◽

Health Organization ◽

Health And Well Being

Crises such as the global pandemic of COVID-19 (coronavirus) elicit a range of responses from individuals and societies adversely affecting physical and emotional well-being. This article provides an overview of factors elicited in response to COVID-19 and their impact on immunity, physical health, mental health and well-being. Certain groups, such as individuals with mental illness, are especially vulnerable, so it is important to maximise the supports available to this population and their families during the pandemic. More broadly, the World Health Organization recommends ‘Psychological First Aid’ as a useful technique that can help many people in a time of crisis.

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Evaluating the policy of closing bars and restaurants in Cataluña and its effects on mobility and COVID19 incidence

10.1101/2021.12.03.21267172 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Matthew Smith ◽

Miguel Ponce-de-Leon ◽

Alfonso Valencia

Keyword(s):

Time Lag ◽

Policy Decision ◽

Economic Consequences ◽

Policy Makers ◽

The Public ◽

Mobility Data ◽

Global Pandemic ◽

The World ◽

Causal Impact ◽

Impact Models

ABSTRACTThe world has gone through unprecedented changes since the global pandemic hit. During the early phase of the pandemic, the absence of known drugs or pharmaceutical treatments forced governments to introduce different policies in order to help reduce contagion rates and manage the economic consequences of the pandemic. This paper analyses the causal impact on mobility and COVID19 incidence from policy makers in Cataluña, Spain. We use annonimized phone-based mobility data together with reported incidence and apply a series of causal impact models frequently used in econometrics and policy evaluation in order to measure the policies impact.. We analyse the case of Cataluña and the public policy decision of closing all bars and restaurants down for a 5 week period between the 2020-16-10 to 2020-23-11. We find that this decision led to a significant reduction in mobility. It not only led to reductions in mobility but from a behavioural economics standpoint we highlight how people responded to the policy decision. Moreover, the policy of closing bars and restaurants slowed the incidence rate of COVID19 after a time lag has been taken into account. These finding are significant since governments worldwide want to restrict movements of people in order to slow down COVID19 incidence without infringing on their rights directly.

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The Nigerian Twin and Sibling Registry: An Update

Twin Research and Human Genetics ◽

10.1017/thg.2019.110 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 22 (6) ◽

pp. 637-640 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Yoon-Mi Hur ◽

Hoe-Uk Jeong ◽

Man Chull Kang ◽

Frances Ajose ◽

Jong Woo Kim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Children And Adolescents ◽

Large Population ◽

Human Populations ◽

Birth Rates ◽

Health Development ◽

Nigerian Children ◽

Twin Birth ◽

The World ◽

Populous Country

AbstractHere we provide an update of the 2013 report on the Nigerian Twin and Sibling Registry (NTSR). The major aim of the NTSR is to understand genetic and environmental influences and their interplay in psychological and mental health development in Nigerian children and adolescents. Africans have the highest twin birth rates among all human populations, and Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa. Due to its combination of large population and high twin birth rates, Nigeria has one of the largest twin populations in the world. In this article, we provide current updates on the NTSR samples recruited, recruitment procedures, zygosity assessment and findings emerging from the NTSR.

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The Coronavirus Health and Impact Survey (CRISIS) reveals reproducible correlates of pandemic-related mood states across the Atlantic

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-87270-3 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Aki Nikolaidis ◽

Diana Paksarian ◽

Lindsay Alexander ◽

Jacob Derosa ◽

Julia Dunn ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Negative Mood ◽

Lifestyle Changes ◽

Mood States ◽

Economic Consequences ◽

International Studies ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

The Us ◽

High Degree

AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic and its social and economic consequences have had adverse impacts on physical and mental health worldwide and exposed all segments of the population to protracted uncertainty and daily disruptions. The CoRonavIruS health and Impact Survey (CRISIS) was developed for use as an easy to implement and robust questionnaire covering key domains relevant to mental distress and resilience during the pandemic. Ongoing studies using CRISIS include international studies of COVID-related ill health conducted during different phases of the pandemic and follow-up studies of cohorts characterized before the COVID pandemic. In the current work, we demonstrate the feasibility, psychometric structure, and construct validity of this survey. We then show that pre-existing mood states, perceived COVID risk, and lifestyle changes are strongly associated with negative mood states during the pandemic in population samples of adults and in parents reporting on their children in the US and UK. These findings are highly reproducible and we find a high degree of consistency in the power of these factors to predict mental health during the pandemic.

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Change in mental health, physical health, and social relationships during highly restrictive lockdown in the COVID-19 pandemic: evidence from Australia

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.11767 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

pp. e11767

Author(s):

Shane L. Rogers ◽

Travis Cruickshank

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Physical Health ◽

Social Relationships ◽

Work Productivity ◽

Mediated Communication ◽

Face To Face ◽

Global Pandemic ◽

The World ◽

Perceived Change ◽

Novel Coronavirus

Background A novel coronavirus first reported in Wuhan City in China in 2019 (COVID-19) developed into a global pandemic throughout 2020. Many countries around the world implemented strict social distancing policies to curb the spread of the virus. In this study we aimed to examine potential change in mental/physical health and social relationships during a highly restrictive COVID-19 lockdown period in Australia during April 2020. Methods Our survey (n = 1, 599) included questions about concerns, social behaviour, perceived change in relationship quality, social media use, frequency of exercise, physical health, and mental health during COVID-19 lockdown (April, 2020). Results When estimating their mental health for the previous year 13% of participants reported more negative than positive emotion, whereas this increased to 41% when participants reflected on their time during COVID-19 lockdown. A substantial proportion (39–54%) of participants reported deterioration in mental health, physical health, financial situation, and work productivity. However, most of these participants reported ’somewhat’ rather than ’a lot’ of deterioration, and many others reported ’no change’ (40–50%) or even ’improvement’ (6–17%). Even less impact was apparent for social relationships (68% reported ’no change’) as participants compensated for decreased face-to-face interaction via increased technology-mediated interaction. Conclusions The psychological toll of COVID-19 on Australians may not have been as large as other parts of the world with greater infection rates. Our findings highlight how technology-mediated communication can allow people to adequately maintain social relationships during an extreme lockdown event.

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