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Mental Health Consequences of COVID-19: The Role of Social Determinants

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Mental Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2023) | Viewed by 8331

Special Issue Editor

1. Department of Developmental, Personality and Social Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Ghent University Henri Dunantlaan 2, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
2. Center for Social and Cultural Psychology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 50 Avenue Franklin Roosevelt CP122, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium
Interests: intergroup relations; ethnic diversity; ideological climates; intergroup contact; prejudice; individual differences; right-wing authoritarianism; social dominance orientation; need for closure; religiosity; political attitudes; voting behavior; political cynicism; populism; psychological need satisfaction; well-being

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

COVID-19 has changed the way we live and has undoubtedly had an impact on the mental health and well-being of many. The current Special Issue calls for empirical and theoretical papers which aim to examine the mental health consequences of COVID-19 from a social-psychological perspective. We specifically, but not exclusively, seek to answer questions such as the following: “What are the social determinants of well-being and resilience during the pandemic?”, “How did the pandemic put a strain on harmonious intergroup relations?”, “What was the specific impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of ethnic-cultural minority members, immigrants, and other disadvantaged groups in society?”, “Did the pandemic change the political landscape and citizens’ support for democratic vs. populist parties?”, “What are the motivational underpinnings of lockdown-, vaccination-, and other COVID-related behaviors?”, and “Would people deal with major crises in a similar way; put differently: do the same social, emotional, and attitudinal processes play a role in both the global health crisis and the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian conflict?”. We encourage contributions which aim to tackle several of these questions at once, integrate two or more theoretical models, investigate long-term social consequences of COVID-19, and/or offer crucial implications for policy makers targeting interventions. We are especially interested in articles from social groups or geographic locations that are under-represented in the journal.

Dr. Jasper van Assche
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • COVID-19
  • mental health
  • coping
  • resilience
  • reactions to crises
  • intergroup relations
  • prejudice
  • political attitudes
  • conspiracy behavior
  • self-determination

Published Papers (5 papers)

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26 pages, 2065 KiB  
Article
The Impact of Culture-, Health- and Nature-Based Engagement on Mitigating the Adverse Effects of Public Health Restrictions on Wellbeing, Social Connectedness and Loneliness during COVID-19: Quantitative Evidence from a Smaller- and Larger-Scale UK Survey
by Linda J. M. Thomson, Neta Spiro, Aaron Williamon and Helen J. Chatterjee
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(20), 6943; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20206943 - 19 Oct 2023
Viewed by 1381
Abstract
Numerous UK surveys conducted during COVID-19 examined the pandemic’s detrimental effects on health, and the consequences of lockdown and other public health restrictions on mental health. Some surveys considered specific populations and social inequities exacerbated during COVID-19. Fewer surveys examined the ways in [...] Read more.
Numerous UK surveys conducted during COVID-19 examined the pandemic’s detrimental effects on health, and the consequences of lockdown and other public health restrictions on mental health. Some surveys considered specific populations and social inequities exacerbated during COVID-19. Fewer surveys examined the ways in which the adverse effects of public health restrictions, such as lockdown, shielding and social distancing, might be alleviated. Drawing upon self-determination theory, the purpose of the current study was to assess whether culture-, health- and nature-based engagement would mitigate the effects of these restrictions on psychological wellbeing, social connectedness and loneliness. Quantitative data from a smaller-scale survey (n = 312) and a subset of questions embedded in a larger-scale survey (n = 3647) were analyzed using univariate and multivariate methods. Frequency of engagement, whether participation was online or offline and with or without other people, and the extent to which type of participation was associated with psychological wellbeing, social connectedness and loneliness were examined. Sports and fitness, gardening and reading occurred frequently in both surveys. For the smaller-scale survey, increases in connectedness and frequency of participation and decreases in loneliness were significantly associated with improved wellbeing, whereas the type of participation and age range were not significant predictors. Outcomes from the smaller-scale survey approximated the larger-scale survey for measures of loneliness, type and frequency of participation and proportion of respondents in each age range. As the frequency of participation was a significant predictor of wellbeing, but the type of participation was not significant, the findings implied that any type of participation in a sufficient quantity would be likely to boost wellbeing. Full article
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13 pages, 354 KiB  
Article
Gender-Specificity of Fatigue and Concerns Related to the COVID-19 Pandemic—A Report on the Polish Population
by Katarzyna Domosławska-Żylińska, Magdalena Krysińska-Pisarek and Dorota Włodarczyk
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(7), 5407; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20075407 - 05 Apr 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1205
Abstract
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic, which is now going on its third year, and its consequences experienced in almost every sphere of life may eventually lead to pandemic fatigue. Previous research indicates that one of the important determinants of the negative consequences of the [...] Read more.
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic, which is now going on its third year, and its consequences experienced in almost every sphere of life may eventually lead to pandemic fatigue. Previous research indicates that one of the important determinants of the negative consequences of the pandemic is gender. Based on the WHO’s definition of pandemic fatigue, a study was undertaken to determine the level of pandemic fatigue and concerns expressed in relation to the pandemic in Poland. Methods: A survey among 1064 respondents was conducted using the CATI technique during the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland. Questionnaires adopted: the Polish adaptation of the Pandemic Fatigue Scale (PFS), Subjective Fatigue Symptoms (SFS), and the COVID-19 Concerns Checklist (CCC) and sociodemographic questions. The following statistical methods were employed: ANOVA analysis of variance, Mann–Whitney U test or Kruskal–Wallis test, and Chi-square test. Results: The analysis showed that women received higher overall PFS, information PFS, SFS, and pandemic-related concerns scores. Other factors that were associated with pandemic fatigue were age, treatment for chronic diseases, receipt of the COVID-19 vaccine, and COVID-19 survivor status. Conclusions: Women in Poland are experiencing pandemic fatigue, subjective fatigue symptoms, and concerns associated with the COVID-19 pandemic at a higher rate than men. Along with implementing interventions focused on public health safety, it seems reasonable to put in place strategies to assist people who are less capable of coping with prolonged stressful situations. Full article
14 pages, 1296 KiB  
Article
Gender Gap in Mental Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic in South Korea: A Decomposition Analysis
by Sunoong Hwang and Heeju Shin
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(3), 2250; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20032250 - 27 Jan 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1474
Abstract
The economic and social effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have been widespread but unevenly distributed among genders. The pandemic may have also affected men’s and women’s mental health differently. This study examined whether the pandemic had stronger adverse effects on women’s mental health [...] Read more.
The economic and social effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have been widespread but unevenly distributed among genders. The pandemic may have also affected men’s and women’s mental health differently. This study examined whether the pandemic had stronger adverse effects on women’s mental health than on that of men given that the decline of the labor market was greater for women than for men. Using data from South Korea (June/September/December 2020, N = 3000), we investigated the gender gap in mental health during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic and its association with gender differences in labor market experiences. We employ the Blinder–Oaxaca decomposition method for this analysis. Although depression and anxiety increased among employed women and men during COVID-19, women showed lower levels of mental health than men. A significant portion of this gender gap is explained by women experiencing greater job loss, income reduction, and prohibition of remote work than men. We also find that women in their 30s experienced greater mental health problems than men of the same age even after controlling for other conditions. Overall, our findings show that a greater proportion of employed women than men experienced poor labor market conditions and increased family burdens during the COVID-19 pandemic, which contributed to women reporting worse mental health than men. Full article
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14 pages, 881 KiB  
Article
The Level of COVID-19 Anxiety among Oncology Patients in Poland
by Mateusz Grajek, Karolina Krupa-Kotara, Mateusz Rozmiarek, Karolina Sobczyk, Eliza Działach, Michał Górski and Joanna Kobza
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(18), 11418; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191811418 - 10 Sep 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1646
Abstract
Cancer patients tend to have a high psychological burden. Half of cancer patients suffer from severe affective disorders and anxiety disorders, while one-third struggle with mild forms of these. The COVID-19 pandemic is damaging the mental health of the population due to social [...] Read more.
Cancer patients tend to have a high psychological burden. Half of cancer patients suffer from severe affective disorders and anxiety disorders, while one-third struggle with mild forms of these. The COVID-19 pandemic is damaging the mental health of the population due to social restrictions. A growing number of studies note the role of COVID-19 anxiety in the health and quality of life of cancer patients. The purpose of this study is to estimate the level of COVID-19 anxiety among oncology patients and to test the utility of the FCV-19S scale in a population study of cancer patients. The study included 600 respondents (300 oncology patients and 300 control subjects not undergoing oncological treatment). The FCV-19S scale and the GAD-7 scale were used in the study. The results were interpreted according to the following verbal scale: 76–100%, high anxiety; 56–75%, moderate anxiety; 26–55%, low COVID-19 anxiety; <25%, no COVID-19 anxiety. In the analysis of the GAD-7 questionnaire results, the mean score obtained was 8.21 (min. 0; max. 21; SD 5.32). For 81% of respondents in the group of oncology patients, the total score indicated the presence of anxiety symptoms with varying degrees of severity; in the control group, this proportion was 55% of respondents. The FCV-19S scale score as a percentage was 57.4% for oncology patients, indicating a moderate level of fear of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and 30.3% for the control group, indicating a low level of fear of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. One-fifth of oncology patients were afraid of losing their lives due to the SARS-CoV-2 virus; in the control group, this proportion was 13% of respondents. Oncology patients were characterized by a higher prevalence of sleep disturbance than control group respondents, which was associated with greater anxiety. The study, therefore, shows that oncology patients have moderate levels of anxiety associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, and non-oncology patients show lower levels of anxiety. Full article
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10 pages, 643 KiB  
Opinion
Should I Help? Prosocial Behaviour during the COVID-19 Pandemic
by Walton Wider, Mei Xian Lim, Ling Shing Wong, Choon Kit Chan and Siti Sarah Maidin
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(23), 16084; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192316084 - 01 Dec 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1898
Abstract
The Movement Control Order (MCO) enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly altered the social life and behaviour of the Malaysian population. Because the society is facing huge social and economic challenges that need individuals to work together to solve, prosocial behaviour is [...] Read more.
The Movement Control Order (MCO) enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly altered the social life and behaviour of the Malaysian population. Because the society is facing huge social and economic challenges that need individuals to work together to solve, prosocial behaviour is regarded as one of the most important social determinants. Because it is related with individual and societal benefits, participating in prosocial activities may be a major protective factor during times of global crisis. Rather than focusing only on medical and psychiatric paradigms, perhaps all that is necessary to overcome the COVID-19 risks is for individuals to make personal sacrifices for the sake of others. In reality, a large number of initiatives proven to be beneficial in decreasing viral transmission include a trade-off between individual and collective interests. Given its crucial importance, the purpose of this concept paper is to provide some insight into prosocial behaviour during the COVID-19 period. Understanding prosocial behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic is crucial because it may assist in the establishment of a post-COVID society and provide useful strategies for coping with future crises. Full article
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