Mental health during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic: a review and recommendations for moving forward
File(s)17456916211029964.pdf (365.76 KB)
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
COVID-19 has infected millions of people and upended the lives of most humans on the planet. Researchers from across the psychological sciences have sought to document and investigate the impact of COVID-19 in myriad ways, causing an explosion of research that is broad in scope, varied in methods, and challenging to consolidate. Because policy and practice aimed at helping people live healthier and happier lives requires insight from robust patterns of evidence, this article provides a rapid and thorough summary of high-quality studies available through early 2021 examining the mental-health consequences of living through the COVID-19 pandemic. Our review of the evidence indicates that anxiety, depression, and distress increased in the early months of the pandemic. Meanwhile, suicide rates, life satisfaction, and loneliness remained largely stable throughout the first year of the pandemic. In response to these insights, we present seven recommendations (one urgent, two short-term, and four ongoing) to support mental health during the pandemic and beyond.
Date Issued
2022-07
Date Acceptance
2022-01-01
Citation
Perspectives on Psychological Science, 2022, 17 (4), pp.915-936
ISSN
1745-6916
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Start Page
915
End Page
936
Journal / Book Title
Perspectives on Psychological Science
Volume
17
Issue
4
Copyright Statement
©2022 The Author(s). This work is published under a CC BY 4.0 International licence.
License URL
Identifier
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/17456916211029964
Subjects
Social Psychology
1701 Psychology
1702 Cognitive Sciences
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2022-01-19