Download PDF
Homœopathic Links 2020; 33(03): 153-170
DOI: 10.1055/s-0040-1715820
Review Article

The Psychological Aspects of COVID-19: A Review

Bindu Sharma
1   Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy, Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India, New Delhi, India
,
Pankhuri Misra
1   Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy, Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India, New Delhi, India
› Author Affiliations Funding We received no funding for the project. The institution has no role to play in the analysis of the study results and publication of the article.
› Further Information
    Permissions and Reprints

Abstract

Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). It has affected 213 countries and territories around the world and 2 international conveyances, thus producing a significant impact on the physical and mental health, behaviour and economy. In this era of crisis, lot of guidelines and measures to combat the disease are present, but the area of adverse mental health consequences is still neglected. This review attempts to highlight the psychological problems associated with this disease.

Objective This article aims to retrieve from the existing literature and state the mental effects of COVID-19.

Methods A review was developed based on the articles from PubMed, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, ResearchGate, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Elsevier, JAMA Network, The Lancet, New England Journal of Medicine, Cell, Wiley, Nature, Science and special databases for COVID like the Stephen B. Thacker CDC Library, World Health Organization's COVID-19 research article database, COVID-19 Open Research Dataset, LitCovid. The search terms included combination of ‘coronavirus’, ‘COVID-19’, ‘psychological’, ‘quarantine’, ‘children’. All the studies mentioning about the mental consequences and interventions for psychological repercussions associated with COVID-19 are eligible for inclusion. In addition, the research papers in English language have been included.

Conclusion There is a need for research among vulnerable population to study the long-term effects of psychological impact of COVID-19.

Keywords

COVID-19 - psychological impact - intervention - misinfodemics - quarantine

Authors' Contribution

Both the authors contributed to the concept, literature search and preparation of the article. Both the authors reviewed and approved the final article.




Publication History

Article published online:
16 September 2020

© 2020. Thieme. All rights reserved.

Thieme Medical and Scientific Publishers Private Ltd.

 

  • References

  • 1 Phan T. Novel coronavirus: from discovery to clinical diagnostics. Infect Genet Evol 2020; 79: 104211
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 2 Chen J. Pathogenicity and transmissibility of 2019-nCoV-A quick overview and comparison with other emerging viruses. Microbes Infect 2020; 22 (02) 69-71
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 3 Gu J, Han B, Wang J. COVID-19: gastrointestinal manifestations and potential fecal–oral transmission. Gastroenterology 2020; 158 (06) 1518-1519
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 4 Hui DS, Azhar EI, Madani TA. , et al The continuing 2019-nCoV epidemic threat of novel coronaviruses to global health - The latest 2019 novel coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China. Int J Infect Dis 2020; 91: 264-266
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 5 WHO. 2020 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV). Available at: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019 . Accessed June 3, 2020
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 6 Wang X, Pan Z, Cheng Z. Association between 2019-nCoV transmission and N95 respirator use. J Hosp Infect 2020; 105 (01) 104-105
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 7 Zhao S, Ran J, Musa SS, Yang G, Lou Y, Gao D. , et al Preliminary estimation of the basic reproduction number of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in China, from 2019 to 2020: A data-driven analysis in the early phase of the outbreak. International Journal of Infectious Diseases 2020; 92: 214-217
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 8 Sun J, He WT, Wang L. , et al COVID-19: epidemiology, evolution, and cross-disciplinary perspectives. Trends Mol Med 2020; 26 (05) 483-495
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 9 Huang C, Wang Y, Li X. , et al Clinical features of patients infected with 2019 novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China. Lancet 2020; 395 (10223): 497-506
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 10 Chen H, Guo J, Wang C. , et al Clinical characteristics and intrauterine vertical transmission potential of COVID-19 infection in nine pregnant women: a retrospective review of medical records. Lancet 2020; 395 (10226): 809-815
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 11 Xu X, Yu C, Zhang L, Luo L, Liu J. Imaging features of 2019 novel coronavirus pneumonia. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2020; 47 (05) 1022-1023
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 12 Lin X, Gong Z, Xiao Z, Xiong J, Fan B, Liu J. Novel coronavirus pneumonia outbreak in 2019: computed tomographic findings in two cases. Korean J Radiol 2020; 21 (03) 365-368
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 13 Varshney M, Parel JT, Raizada N, Sarin SK. Initial psychological impact of COVID-19 and its correlates in Indian community: an online (FEEL-COVID) survey. PLoS One 2020; 15 (05) e0233874
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 14 Meng H, Xu Y, Dai J, Zhang Y, Liu B, Yang H. Analyze the psychological impact of COVID-19 among the elderly population in China and make corresponding suggestions. Psychiatry Res 2020; 289: 112983
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 15 Zhang C, Yang L, Liu S. , et al Survey of insomnia and related social psychological factors among medical staff involved in the 2019 novel coronavirus disease outbreak. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11: 306
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 16 Torales J, O'Higgins M, Castaldelli-Maia JM, Ventriglio A. The outbreak of COVID-19 coronavirus and its impact on global mental health. Int J Soc Psychiatry 2020; 66 (04) 317-320
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 17 Zhou X. Psychological crisis interventions in Sichuan Province during the 2019 novel coronavirus outbreak. Psychiatry Res 2020; 286: 112895
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 18 Carvalho PMM, Moreira MM, de Oliveira MNA, Landim JMM, Neto MLR. The psychiatric impact of the novel coronavirus outbreak. Psychiatry Res 2020; 286: 112902
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 19 Milman E, Lee SA, Neimeyer RA. Social isolation as a means of reducing dysfunctional coronavirus anxiety and increasing psychoneuroimmunity. Brain Behav Immun 2020; 87: 138-139
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 20 Brooks SK, Webster RK, Smith LE. , et al The psychological impact of quarantine and how to reduce it: rapid review of the evidence. Lancet 2020; 395 (10227): 912-920
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 21 Dsouza DD, Quadros S, Hyderabadwala ZJ, Mamun MA. Aggregated COVID-19 suicide incidences in India: fear of COVID-19 infection is the prominent causative factor. Psychiatry Res 2020; 290: 113145
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 22 Lima CKT, Carvalho PMM, Lima IAAS. , et al The emotional impact of coronavirus 2019-nCoV (new coronavirus disease). Psychiatry Res 2020; 287: 112915
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 23 Xiang YT, Yang Y, Li W. , et al Timely mental health care for the 2019 novel coronavirus outbreak is urgently needed. Lancet Psychiatry 2020; 7 (03) 228-229
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 24 Li Z, Ge J, Yang M, Feng J, Liu C, Yang C. Vicarious traumatization: a psychological problem that cannot be ignored during the COVID-19 pandemic. Brain Behav Immun 2020; 87: 74
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 25 Yang J, Tong J, Meng F. , et al Characteristics and challenges of psychological first aid in China during the COVID-19 outbreak. Brain Behav Immun 2020; 87: 113-114
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 26 Yao H, Chen JH, Xu YF. Patients with mental health disorders in the COVID-19 epidemic. Lancet Psychiatry 2020; 7 (04) e21
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 27 Júnior JG, de Sales JP, Moreira MM, Pinheiro WR, Lima CKT, Neto MLR. A crisis within the crisis: the mental health situation of refugees in the world during the 2019 coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak. Psychiatry Res 2020; 288: 113000
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 28 Meda N, Slongo I. Caution when linking COVID-19 to mental health consequences. Brain Behav Immun 2020; 87: 152
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 29 Goyal K, Chauhan P, Chhikara K, Gupta P, Singh MP. Fear of COVID 2019: first suicidal case in India!. Asian J Psychiatr 2020; 49: 101989
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 30 Banerjee D. The COVID-19 outbreak: crucial role the psychiatrists can play. Asian J Psychiatr 2020; 50: 102014
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 31 Varalakshmi R, Swetha R. Covid-19 lock down: people psychology due to law enforcement. Asian J Psychiatr 2020; 51: 102102
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 32 Sahoo S, Rani S, Parveen S. , et al Self-harm and COVID-19 pandemic: an emerging concern - a report of 2 cases from India. Asian J Psychiatr 2020; 51: 102104
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 33 Shigemura J, Ursano RJ, Morganstein JC, Kurosawa M, Benedek DM. Public responses to the novel 2019 coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in Japan: mental health consequences and target populations. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2020; 74 (04) 281-282
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 34 Mukhtar S. Pakistanis' mental health during the COVID-19. Asian J Psychiatr 2020; 51: 102127
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 35 Jin Z, Zhao K, Xia Y. , et al Psychological responses to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak. ChinaXiv 2020; 1-6
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 36 Lai J, Ma S, Wang Y. , et al. Factors associated with mental health outcomes among health care workers exposed to coronavirus disease 2019. JAMA Netw Open 2020; 3 (03) e203976
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 37 Sun D, Yang D, Li Y. , et al Psychological impact of 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak in health workers in China. Epidemiol Infect 2020; 148: e96
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 38 Wang C, Pan R, Wan X. , et al A longitudinal study on the mental health of general population during the COVID-19 epidemic in China. Brain Behav Immun 2020; 87: 40-48
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 39 Balkhi F, Nasir A, Zehra A, Riaz R. Psychological and behavioral response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Cureus 2020; 12 (05) e7923
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 40 Amin S. The psychology of coronavirus fear: Are healthcare professionals suffering from corona-phobia?. Int J Healthc Manag 2020; 13 (03) 249-256 DOI: 10.1080/20479700.2020.1765119.
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 41 Chew NWS, Lee GKH, Tan BYQ. , et al A multinational, multicentre study on the psychological outcomes and associated physical symptoms amongst healthcare workers during COVID-19 outbreak. Brain Behav Immun 2020; DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2020.04.049. (epub ahead of print)
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 42 Ko NY, Lu WH, Chen YL. , et al COVID-19-related information sources and psychological well-being: an online survey study in Taiwan. Brain Behav Immun 2020; 87: 153-154
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 43 Szczesniak D, Ciulkowicz M, Maciaszek J. , et al Psychopathological responses and face mask restrictions during the COVID-19 outbreak: results from a nationwide survey. Brain Behav Immun 2020; 87: 161-162
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 44 Ahmed MA, Jouhar R, Ahmed N. , et al Fear and practice modifications among dentists to combat novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2020; 17 (08) 2821
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 45 Satici B, Gocet-Tekin E, Deniz ME, Satici SA. Adaptation of the fear of COVID-19 scale: its association with psychological distress and life satisfaction in Turkey. Int J Ment Health Addict 2020; DOI: 10.1007/s11469-020-00294-0.
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 46 Mustafa N. Psychological stress and associated factors during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). ResearchGate 2020; DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.21652.24969.
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 47 Duan L, Zhu G. Psychological interventions for people affected by the COVID-19 epidemic. Lancet Psychiatry 2020; 7 (04) 300-302
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 48 Mohsin AK, Hongzhen L, Sume AH, Hussain MH. Analysis of the causes of moral injury in the outbreak of 2019-nCoV. Psychol Trauma: Theory Res Pract Policy 2020; (12) (S1), S162-S164
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 49 Sharma S, Sharma M, Singh G. A chaotic and stressed environment for 2019-nCoV suspected, infected and other people in India: fear of mass destruction and causality. Asian J Psychiatr 2020; 51: 102049
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 50 Wu PE, Styra R, Gold WL. Mitigating the psychological effects of COVID-19 on health care workers. CMAJ 2020; 192 (17) E459-E460
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 51 Greenberg N, Docherty M, Gnanapragasam S, Wessely S. Managing mental health challenges faced by healthcare workers during COVID-19 pandemic. BMJ 2020; 368: m1211
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 52 Ho CS, Chee CY, Ho R. Mental health strategies to combat the psychological impact of COVID-19 beyond paranoia and panic. Ann Acad Med Singapore 2020; 49 (03) 155-160
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 53 Mamun MA, Ullah I. COVID-19 suicides in Pakistan, dying off not COVID-19 fear but poverty? - The forthcoming economic challenges for a developing country. Brain Behav Immun 2020; 87: 163-166
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 54 Mukhtar S. Psychological health during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic outbreak. Int J Soc Psychiatry 2020; 20764020925835
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 55 Mamun MA, Griffiths MD. First COVID-19 suicide case in Bangladesh due to fear of COVID-19 and xenophobia: possible suicide prevention strategies. Asian J Psychiatr 2020; 51: 102073
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 56 Thakur V, Jain A. COVID 2019-suicides: a global psychological pandemic. Brain Behav Immun 2020; DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2020.04.062.
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 57 Sood S. Psychological effects of the coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic. Res Hum Med Educ 2020; 7: 23-26
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 58 Larochelle MR. “Is it safe for me to go to work?” Risk stratification for workers during the Covid-19 pandemic. N Engl J Med 2020; DOI: 10.1056/NEJMp2013413.
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 59 Fessell D, Cherniss C. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and beyond: micropractices for burnout prevention and emotional wellness. J Am Coll Radiol 2020; 17 (06) 746-748
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 60 Yamaguchi K, Takebayashi Y, Miyamae M, Komazawa A, Yokoyama C, Ito M. Role of focusing on the positive side during COVID-19 outbreak: mental health perspective from positive psychology. Psychol Trauma 2020; 12 (S1): S49-S50
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 61 Rubin GJ, Wessely S. The psychological effects of quarantining a city. BMJ 2020; 28: 368
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 62 Khan S, Siddique R, Li H. , et al Impact of coronavirus outbreak on psychological health. J Glob Health 2020; 10 (01) 010331
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 63 Takieddine H, Tabbah SA. Coronavirus pandemic: coping with the psychological outcomes, mental changes, and the “new normal” during and after COVID-19. Open J Depress Anxiety 2020; 2: 7-19
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 64 Lunn PD, Belton CA, Lavin C, McGowan FP, Timmons S, Robertson DA. Using behavioral science to help fight the coronavirus. J Behav Public Admin 2020; 3 (01) 1-15
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 65 Rajkumar RP. COVID-19 and mental health: a review of the existing literature. Asian J Psychiatr 2020; 52: 102066
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 66 Moorthi SK, Radhika P, Muraleedharan KC. Psychological implications during the outbreak of COVID-19 and its homoeopathic management. I J Res Homoeopathy 2020; 14 (02) 136
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 67 Rahman J, Muralidharan A, Quazi SJ, Saleem H, Khan S. Neurological and psychological effects of coronavirus (COVID-19): an overview of the current era pandemic. Cureus 2020; 12 (06) e8460
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 68 Arden MA, Chilcot J. Health psychology and the coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic: a call for research. Br J Health Psychol 2020; 25 (02) 231-232
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 69 Sinha I, Bennett D, Taylor-Robinson DC. Children are being sidelined by COVID-19. BMJ 2020; 369: m2061
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 70 Freeman MP. COVID-19 from a psychiatry perspective: meeting the challenges. J Clin Psychiatry 2020; 81 (02) 20ed13358
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 71 Zarghami M. Psychiatric aspects of coronavirus (2019-nCoV) infection. Iran J Psychiatry Behav Sci 2020; 14 (01) e102957
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 72 Sharma SR. World under siege: Spanish Flu 1918 vis-à-vis COVID-19. Homœopathic Links 2020; 33 (02) 71-74
    Article in Thieme ConnectPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 73 Over 8,80,000 children could die due to Covid-related issues in next 12 months; most deaths likely in India: UNICEF report. Available at: https://indianexpress.com/article/india/covid-19-unicef-children-poverty-6475750/ . Accessed June 26, 2020
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 74 Lives Upended How COVID-19 threatens the futures of 600 million South Asian children. Available at: https://www.unicef.org/rosa/lives-upended . Accessed June 26, 2020
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 75 Why women are more stressed than men during the lockdown. Available at: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/relationships/love-sex/why-women-are-more-stressed-than-men-during-the-lockdown/articleshow/75185397.cms . Accessed June 26, 2020
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 76 Seminog OO, Goldacre MJ. Risk of pneumonia and pneumococcal disease in people with severe mental illness: English record linkage studies. Thorax 2013; 68 (02) 171-176
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 77 Sarkar BK. Hahnemann's Organon of Medicine. Reprint Edition. Birla Publications Pvt. Ltd.; Delhi: 2009
    Google Scholar
  • 78 Boericke W. Pocket Manual of Homoeopathic Materia Medica and Repertory. 56th Impression. New Delhi: B Jain Publishers (P) Ltd; 2016
    Google Scholar
  • 79 Kent JT. Repertory of the Homoeopathic Materia Medica. 51st Impression. New Delhi: B Jain Publishers (P) Ltd.; 2012
    Google Scholar
  • 80 Schroyens F. Repertorium Homoeopathicum Syntheticum. Full Synthesis 9.1, Indian Edition. New Delhi: B. Jain Publishers (P) Ltd.; 2012
    Google Scholar