ABSTRACT
The paper provides insights into the mental health consequences of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic from the Central, Eastern, Nordic, Southern, and Western subregions of Europe, represented by five member countries of the European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ESTSS). On the basis of the existing national research and experiences in these countries, we propose five lessons learned. (1) There is no evidence of a mental health pandemic so far in the countries in focus. No increase in severe mental disorders but some increase in the symptoms of common mental health disorders are observable. More high-quality longitudinal studies are needed to understand the mental health burden of the pandemic. (2) The pandemic affects countries (including the mental health situation) differently, depending on the level of the exposure, management policies, pre-pandemic structural characteristics, and healthcare resources. (3) The pandemic affects people differently: the exposure severity to pandemic-related stressors differs between individuals, as well as individual resources to cope with these stressors. There are winners and losers as well as identifiable at-risk groups that need particular attention. (4) Besides the negative consequences, the pandemic has had a positive impact. The rapidly applied innovations within the system of healthcare responses provide a window of opportunity for positive changes in mental healthcare policies, strategies, and practices. The increased focus on mental health during the pandemic may contribute to the prioritization of mental health issues at policy-making and organizational levels and may reduce stigma. (5) A stress- and trauma-informed response to COVID-19 is required. The European community of psychotraumatologists under the leadership of ESTSS plays an important role in promoting stress- and trauma-informed healthcare and policies of pandemic management. Based on the lessons learned, we propose a stepped-care public mental health model for the prevention of adverse mental health outcomes during pandemics. HIGHLIGHTS Population mental health is affected differently in the COVID-19 pandemic: there are winners and losers, as well as identifiable at-risk groups that need particular attention. A stress- and trauma-informed public mental health stepped-care model can address pandemic-related mental health burden in a systematic way.
ABSTRACT
The paper provides insights into the mental health consequences of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic from the Central, Eastern, Nordic, Southern, and Western subregions of Europe, represented by five member countries of the European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ESTSS). On the basis of the existing national research and experiences in these countries, we propose five lessons learned. (1) There is no evidence of a mental health pandemic so far in the countries in focus. No increase in severe mental disorders but some increase in the symptoms of common mental health disorders are observable. More high-quality longitudinal studies are needed to understand the mental health burden of the pandemic. (2) The pandemic affects countries (including the mental health situation) differently, depending on the level of the exposure, management policies, pre-pandemic structural characteristics, and healthcare resources. (3) The pandemic affects people differently: the exposure severity to pandemic-related stressors differs between individuals, as well as individual resources to cope with these stressors. There are winners and losers as well as identifiable at-risk groups that need particular attention. (4) Besides the negative consequences, the pandemic has had a positive impact. The rapidly applied innovations within the system of healthcare responses provide a window of opportunity for positive changes in mental healthcare policies, strategies, and practices. The increased focus on mental health during the pandemic may contribute to the prioritization of mental health issues at policy-making and organizational levels and may reduce stigma. (5) A stress- and trauma-informed response to COVID-19 is required. The European community of psychotraumatologists under the leadership of ESTSS plays an important role in promoting stress- and trauma-informed healthcare and policies of pandemic management. Based on the lessons learned, we propose a stepped-care public mental health model for the prevention of adverse mental health outcomes during pandemics. HIGHLIGHTS: Population mental health is affected differently in the COVID-19 pandemic: there are winners and losers, as well as identifiable at-risk groups that need particular attention.A stress- and trauma-informed public mental health stepped-care model can address pandemic-related mental health burden in a systematic way.
Este articulo proporciona información sobre las consecuencias para la salud mental de la pandemia por la COVID-19 en las subregiones Central, Oriental, Nórdica, Meridional y Occidental de Europa, representadas por cinco países miembros de la Sociedad Europea de Estudios del Estrés Traumático (ESTSS). Sobre la base de las investigaciones y experiencias nacionales existentes en estos países, proponemos cinco lecciones aprendidas: 1. No hay evidencia de una pandemia de salud mental hasta el momento en los países en estudio. No se observa un aumento de los trastornos mentales severos, pero sí un aumento de los síntomas de los trastornos de salud mental comunes. Se necesitan más estudios longitudinales de alta calidad para entender la carga de salud mental de la pandemia; 2. La pandemia afecta a los países (incluida la situación de salud mental) en forma diferente según el nivel de exposición, las políticas de gestión, las características estructurales previas a la pandemia y los recursos de atención en salud; 3. La pandemia afecta a las personas de distintas maneras: la severidad de exposición a los estresores relacionados con la pandemia difiere entre las personas, así como los recursos individuales para hacer frente a estos factores estresantes. Hay ganadores y perdedores así como grupos de riesgo identificables que necesitan atención especial; 4. Además de las consecuencias negativas, la pandemia ha tenido un impacto positivo. Las innovaciones aplicadas rápidamente dentro del sistema de respuestas de atención de la salud son una ventana de oportunidad para cambios positivos en las políticas, estrategias y prácticas de atención de la salud mental. El aumento del enfoque en la salud mental durante la pandemia puede contribuir a la priorización de problemas de salud mental en los niveles organizacionales y de formulación de políticas y podría reducir el estigma; 5. Se requieren respuestas frente a la COVID-19 informadas en estrés y en trauma. La comunidad europea de psicotraumatólogos, bajo el liderazgo de la ESTSS, juega un papel importante en la promoción de la atención en salud informada en estrés y trauma y las políticas de gestión de pandemias. Basados en las lecciones aprendidas, proponemos un modelo de salud mental pública de atención escalonada para la prevención de las consecuencias adversas de salud mental durante las pandemias.