The Burden of COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Health, 2nd Edition

Dear Colleagues, 

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant burdens on global mental health, manifesting across various demographics and exacerbating pre-existing psychological conditions. This Special Issue is the second one on this topic published in Medicina, entitled “The Burden of COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Health”.

The pandemic led to a significant rise in anxiety, depression, and stress-related disorders due to contributing factors such as fear of infection, social isolation due to lockdowns, economic uncertainties, and disruptions to daily routines. Frontline healthcare professionals encountered unprecedented challenges during this period, resulting in elevated levels of burnout, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), their psychological stress compounded by extended working hours, high patient mortality, and inadequate personal protective equipment.

In children and adolescents, the closure of educational institutions and the transition to remote learning substantially affected mental well-being, with reports of increased feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and depression and some studies indicating that over 40% of students experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness during the pandemic.

Patients with pre-existing psychiatric disorders were also significantly affected, showing increased vulnerability and exacerbation of their mental conditions. Disruptions to therapy and support services, combined with heightened stressors, resulted in increased symptomatology, burden, and even mortality within this population.

This Special Issue aims to gather significant scientific contributions in this area in the form of either original articles or reviews. We are especially interested in studies on the effect of long COVID on mental health.

Prof. Dr. Sorin Hostiuc
Prof. Dr. Beatrice Gabriela Ioan
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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• COVID-19 pandemic
• mental health
• therapy
• psychological stress
• psychiatric disorders

• The Burden of COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Health in Medicina (5 articles)