The scope of mental health research during the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath

SummaryThe effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on population mental health are unknown. We need to understand the scale of any such impact in different sections of the population, who is most affected and how best to mitigate, prevent and treat any excess morbidity. We propose a coordinated and interdisciplinary mental health science response.

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The global impact on mental health almost 2 years into the COVID-19 pandemic

Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/ipm.2021.75 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 38 (4) ◽

pp. 243-246

Author(s):

Blanaid Gavin ◽

John Lyne ◽

Fiona McNicholas

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Research ◽

Mental Healthcare ◽

Mental Health Research ◽

Health Needs ◽

Mental Health Needs ◽

Global Impact ◽

Global Pandemic ◽

Population Mental Health ◽

Global Population

AbstractApproaching 2 years into a global pandemic, it is timely to reflect on how COVID-19 has impacted the mental health of the global population. With research continuing apace, a clearer picture should crystallise in time. COVID-19 has undoubtedly had some impact on population mental health, although the severity and duration of this impact remain less clear. The exceptional period of COVID-19 has provided a unique prism through which we can observe and consider societal mental health. This is a momentous time to be involved in mental health research as we strive to understand the mental health needs of the population and advocate for adequate resourcing to deliver quality mental healthcare in the post-pandemic period.

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Reflections on Type III Error: Ethical Implications for Mental Health Research, Public Policy, and Population Health

Ethical Human Psychology and Psychiatry ◽

10.1891/ehpp-d-19-00006 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 22 (2) ◽

pp. 114-123

Author(s):

Margaret Walkover

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Research ◽

Public Health Research ◽

Mental Health Research ◽

Ethical Challenges ◽

Type Iii ◽

Ethical Implications ◽

Research Designs ◽

Population Mental Health ◽

The Right

This reflection comments on Type III error—how the misrecognition of causal factors shaping the onset, acuity, and duration of mental health symptoms may lead to the design of interventions that compromise the health of populations. Type III error reveals the ethical challenges of research designs that answer the wrong question. The argument offered by Schwartz and Carpenter in their 1999 article, “The right answer for the wrong question: consequences of Type III error for public health research,” is used as a foil to discuss ethical implications for population mental health.

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