Consequences of the covid-19 pandemic on the mental health of the population

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has produced many changes worldwide in terms of the response of institutions (e.g., governments, WHO) to reduce the transmission of the virus and its fatal effects. The mental health of the population during the pandemic was a somewhat secondary dimension, becoming especially visible during this period of the pandemic's retreat. Therefore, psychoeducation of the population for crisis situations is necessary, how to deal with stress in situations with high, unavoidable social pressure. Social restrictions, isolation, had negative consequences on people's well-being. In the case of most mental disorders already present, the intensity of symptoms has increased, as have phenomena such as domestic violence, the divorce rate. Lack of physical activity and increased stress led to various somatizations. People who had pre-existing symptoms of mental disorders developed them more during the pandemic. The need to socialize was counterbalanced by the fear that the "other" was infected, the suspicion was increased by mediating some data on the evolution of the spread of the virus. Basically, people were facing one of the most profound experiences of existence: the fear of death. These aspects show how necessary mental health strategies are in their implementation during periods of crisis such as COVID-19 and beyond