COVID-19: Impact on Mental Health

The outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) which was first detected in Wuhan, China in December 2019 has created havoc worldwide. It progressed to the status of a pandemic in March 2020 with countries across the various continents adversely affected.

This coronavirus crisis has not only affected the health, safety & well-being but has also significant negative impact on the mental health. Moreover, stigma of the disease, uncertain prognoses, imposition of unfamiliar preventive measures, large and growing economic burden, and information incessant on media platforms are among some of the major stressors that has undoubtedly contributed to widespread emotional distress. Though this coronavirus crisis has affected the mental health of almost everyone in the world, there are certain groups of people who may be more vulnerable to mental health illness than the rest of the general public. In particular, people who contract the disease, those at heightened risk for it (including the healthcare workers, elderly, people with compromised immune function, and family members/close contacts of COVID-19 patients) and people with pre-existing medical, psychiatric illness are at increased risk for adverse mental health outcomes. This review focusses on impact of COVID-19 on mental health of various population and explores various strategies to tackle these health concerns.