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Behavioral Sciences
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The Impacts of COVID-19 on Mental Health and Well-Being
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The Impacts of COVID-19 on Mental Health and Well-Being

A special issue of Behavioral Sciences (ISSN 2076-328X).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2024) | Viewed by 9569

Special Issue Editors

Dr. David Dias Dias Neto

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. School of Psychology, ISPA—Instituto Universitário, 1149-041 Lisboa, Portugal
2. APPsyCI—Applied Psychology Research Center Capabilities & Inclusion, ISPA—Instituto Universitário, 1149-041 Lisboa, Portugal
Interests: mental health; clinical psychology; psychotherapy; change-processes; grief; illness perceptions
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Ana Nunes da Silva

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Psychology, University of Lisbon, 1649-013 Lisbon, Portugal
Interests: mental health; emotional regulation; alcohol; addiction; psychotherapy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a strong impact worldwide. The number of infected individuals on all continents is immense, and over six million people have died so far. Phenomena such as long COVID and other sequelae affect individuals long after having COVID. Additionally, indirect effects such as grieving by relatives and adaptation to containment or prevention measures by the public remain relevant. The direct and indirect consequences of COVID-19 are multidimensional, but the impacts on mental health and well-being are essential.

Understanding these impacts is vital in developing specific public health policies and interventions for preventing mental disorders or promoting well-being. These can be useful in addressing the current evolution of COVID-19 at an endemic stage, and could inform future health-related crises. Furthermore, many studies have been conducted since the advent of COVID-19 and its growth into a pandemic. This diversity allows, for the first time, the understanding of COVID-19’s psychological impacts as the disease unfolds longitudinally and epidemiologically.

This Special Issue contributes to this field, focusing on the impacts on mental health and well-being. We invite papers that consider broad or specific psychopathological reactions (e.g., general symptoms or particular disorders) and effects measured by positive outcomes (i.e., well-being, positive mental health, post-traumatic growth). We accept manuscripts from different disciplines, including psychology, epidemiology, and psychiatry. Papers may refer to experimental, correlational, epidemiological or intervention studies. Case reports, reviews, or methodological articles may be considered.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

Dr. David Dias Dias Dias Neto
Dr. Ana Nunes Nunes da da Silva
Guest Editors

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. Behavioral Sciences 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 2200 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
  • well-being
  • adaptation
  • post-traumatic stress
  • anxiety
  • depression

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 1221 KiB  
Article
Identity Disturbance in the Digital Era during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Adverse Effects of Social Media and Job Stress
by Bojan Obrenovic, Danijela Godinic, Gang Du, Akmal Khudaykulov and Hui Gan
Behav. Sci. 2024, 14(8), 648; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14080648 - 27 Jul 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1525
Abstract
The empirical study aimed to explore the relationships among social media exposure, job stress, anxiety, and identity disturbance in a nonclinical setting in the COVID-19 pandemic context. An online questionnaire was administered to 282 participants in the United States of America (USA) during [...] Read more.
The empirical study aimed to explore the relationships among social media exposure, job stress, anxiety, and identity disturbance in a nonclinical setting in the COVID-19 pandemic context. An online questionnaire was administered to 282 participants in the United States of America (USA) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study utilized a two-step Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) approach consisting of both measurement model and structural model testing. Relationships between the model variables of social media exposure, identity disturbance, anxiety, and job stress were analyzed using standardized beta coefficients, standard errors, t-values, and p-values. The results indicate that both social media exposure and job stress are associated with increased anxiety levels, which, in turn, influence identity disturbance. Moreover, there is a moderating effect of job stress on the relationship between social media exposure and anxiety, as well as the mediating effect of anxiety on the relationship between social media exposure and identity disturbance. The findings are valuable for organizations and can be used to develop programs aimed at mitigating the adverse effects of social media exposure on mental health. Prioritizing employee mental health through awareness and support initiatives is paramount, especially for those facing high stress and extensive social media use. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impacts of COVID-19 on Mental Health and Well-Being)
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24 pages, 324 KiB  
Article
Well-Being, Mental Health, and Study Characteristics of Medical Students before and during the Pandemic
by Alexandra Huber, Luna Rabl, Thomas Höge-Raisig and Stefan Höfer
Behav. Sci. 2024, 14(1), 7; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14010007 - 21 Dec 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1929
Abstract
Medical students report high demands, stressors, pressure to perform, and a lack of resources, and are therefore at a higher risk for mental strain and burnout. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, study conditions have changed, and new challenges have emerged. Thus, this study [...] Read more.
Medical students report high demands, stressors, pressure to perform, and a lack of resources, and are therefore at a higher risk for mental strain and burnout. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, study conditions have changed, and new challenges have emerged. Thus, this study aimed to examine medical students’ well-being, mental health, and study characteristics before and during the pandemic. Data from 988 Austrian medical students were included into the cross-sectional comparisons, and 63 students were included into the longitudinal analyses (variance analyses/t-tests or appropriate non-parametric tests). Well-being before and during the pandemic did not differ significantly but the peri-pandemic cohort reported higher study satisfaction, more social support from lecturers, and less emotional exhaustion, cognitive demands, and stressors (information problems, organizational stressors, work overload). Longitudinally, work overload was also perceived to be higher before the pandemic; however, study satisfaction was lower. During the pandemic, approximately every seventh student exceeded the cut-off value for generalized anxiety disorder, and approximately every tenth student exceeded the cut-off value for major depression. These unexpected peri-pandemic results concerning constant high well-being, study satisfaction, and the perception of conditions may be based on response shift effects that require further exploration. The scores exceeding the reasonable cut-point for identifying probable cases of generalized anxiety disorder and depression may reflect medical students’ needs, calling for an in-depth analysis if further health promotion is necessary. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impacts of COVID-19 on Mental Health and Well-Being)
12 pages, 310 KiB  
Article
Psychological Impacts of Teaching Models on Ibero-American Educators during COVID-19
by Simone Nomie Sato, Emilia Condes Moreno, Adriana Rico Villanueva, Paulo Orquera Miranda, Pascual Chiarella, Gloria Bermudez, Jose Francisco Tornero Aguilera and Vicente Javier Clemente-Suárez
Behav. Sci. 2023, 13(12), 957; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13120957 - 21 Nov 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1425
Abstract
Educational systems globally, and notably in the Ibero-American context, underwent significant adaptations in response to the myriad challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The pedagogical evolution unfolded through three discernible phases: predominantly online, hybrid, and ultimately, a return to face-to-face instruction. While these [...] Read more.
Educational systems globally, and notably in the Ibero-American context, underwent significant adaptations in response to the myriad challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The pedagogical evolution unfolded through three discernible phases: predominantly online, hybrid, and ultimately, a return to face-to-face instruction. While these phases were universally apparent, cultural, socio-economic, and health disparities across regions subtly influenced the quality and experiential aspects of teaching and learning within these models. This study seeks to illuminate the psychological profiles and evaluative perspectives regarding teaching and learning quality among university educators during COVID-19’s tri-phase educational transformation. Engaging 601 university instructors from various Ibero-American countries, a comprehensive questionnaire mapped demographic, academic, and psychological landscapes across the pandemic’s distinctive epochs. The pivot to online educational methodologies, supplanting traditional modalities, permeated numerous facets of the educational endeavor, particularly impacting faculty life and wellbeing. Data underscored a prevalent sentiment of loneliness, indicative of broader mental health challenges, especially pronounced among educators in Latin American nations. Notwithstanding these hurdles, Latin American educators demonstrated a predilection towards online instruction, in stark contrast to their European peers, who exhibited a preference for in-person pedagogy. This study unveils the divergent pedagogical preferences and mental health challenges among university educators in the Ibero-American realm during COVID-19’s educational shifts, underlining the need for adaptable educational frameworks and robust mental health support, attuned to the region’s distinct socio-cultural and economic contexts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impacts of COVID-19 on Mental Health and Well-Being)
9 pages, 585 KiB  
Article
The Mental Health Impacts of a Pandemic: A Multiaxial Conceptual Model for COVID-19
by David Dias Neto and Ana Nunes da Silva
Behav. Sci. 2023, 13(11), 912; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13110912 - 8 Nov 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1890
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic substantially impacted the mental health of the general population and particularly vulnerable individuals and groups. A wealth of research allows for estimating this impact and identifying relevant factors contributing to or mitigating it. The current paper presents and synthesizes this [...] Read more.
The COVID-19 pandemic substantially impacted the mental health of the general population and particularly vulnerable individuals and groups. A wealth of research allows for estimating this impact and identifying relevant factors contributing to or mitigating it. The current paper presents and synthesizes this evidence into a multiaxial model of COVID-19 mental health impacts. Based on existing research, we propose four axes: (1) Exposure to COVID-related events; (2) Personal and social vulnerability, such as previous mental health problems or belonging to a vulnerable group; (3) Time, which accounts for the differential impacts throughout the development of the pandemic; and (4) Context, including healthcare and public policies, and social representations of the illness influencing individual emotional reactions and relevant behaviors. These axes help acknowledge the complexity of communities’ reactions and are pragmatic in identifying and prioritizing factors. The axes can provide individual information (i.e., more exposure is harmful) and account for interactions (e.g., exposure in an early phase of the pandemic differs from a later stage). This model contributes to the reflections of the evidence and informs the mental health response to the next pandemic. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impacts of COVID-19 on Mental Health and Well-Being)
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Review

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18 pages, 5489 KiB  
Review
The Effect of the COVID Pandemic on Clinical Psychology Research: A Bibliometric Analysis
by Jordan Anders and Michael S. Vitevitch
Behav. Sci. 2024, 14(6), 463; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14060463 - 30 May 2024
Viewed by 1809
Abstract
The present bibliometric analysis used traditional measures and network science techniques to examine how the COVID-19 pandemic influenced research in Clinical Psychology. Publication records from the Web of Science (WoS) were obtained for journal articles published prior to (2015 and 2018), during (2020), [...] Read more.
The present bibliometric analysis used traditional measures and network science techniques to examine how the COVID-19 pandemic influenced research in Clinical Psychology. Publication records from the Web of Science (WoS) were obtained for journal articles published prior to (2015 and 2018), during (2020), and at the end of the pandemic (2022) for the search terms “men and mental health” and “women and mental health”. Network analyses of author-provided keywords showed that COVID-19 co-occurred with fear, anxiety, depression, and stress for both men and women in 2020. In 2022, COVID-19 co-occurred with topics related to world-wide lockdowns (e.g., alcohol use, substance use, intimate partner violence, loneliness, physical activity), and to more fundamental topics in Clinical Psychology (e.g., eating disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder). Although the COVID pandemic was associated with several changes in the research topics that were examined in Clinical Psychology, pre-existing disparities in the amount of mental health research on men compared to women did not appear to increase (in contrast to increases associated with COVID in pre-existing gender disparities observed in other areas of society). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impacts of COVID-19 on Mental Health and Well-Being)
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