Psychological Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic

ABSTRACT

The COVID-19 pandemic has had sweeping effects that have disrupted almost every part of society worldwide. In this chapter, we discuss the psychological impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. We begin with a review of psychological distress and psychiatric symptoms arising with the onset of the pandemic, focusing on the general population as well as specific groups such as children, students, parents, medical providers, essential workers, and disadvantaged populations, among others. We then evaluate the potential impact of the pandemic on suicide and how patterns of adverse psychiatric effects have varied over time. We also provide a comprehensive overview of both risk and protective factors for psychological distress and psychiatric disorders during the pandemic. After a discussion of psychiatric manifestations and sequelae reported in those affected by COVID-19, we conclude with an exploration of putative strategies to promote mental health in a world with COVID-19. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022.